


A Reason to Fight

by HeavyHeartstrings



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, M/M, Violence, main pair axel/roxas, multiple POVs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2019-09-20 15:21:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 190,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17025141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeavyHeartstrings/pseuds/HeavyHeartstrings
Summary: They say that peace is fragile thing. That years and years of trust between people and nations can be shattered down to nothing with just one action. To Roxas, that one action was the kidnapping of his brother, and the catalyst of destroying a near-century long treaty between two nations.





	1. The Celebration

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends. I'm excited to be doing another multi-chapter story, but this one is going to be significantly longer. I'm used to either following canon or modern day AUs, so this is a new type of style of writing for me! I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think.

Roxas’ eyelashes flutter open and close lightly, his mind becoming conscious of the world around him. It takes him a second to come to, blinking the blurriness out of his eyes and yawning. Eventually he looks towards the sound of a steady thumping coming from the other side of his door with a tired anger.

“Roxas! You need to get up _now!_ ” His twin-brother, Sora yells through the thick wooden door.

Roxas lets out a low moan, rubbing the heel of his hand into his heavy eyes and rises from his bed slowly. He bites back the angry retort he wants to yell and clenches his jaw, glaring at the door that is still being pounded on. He stomps over to it, turning the latch and ripping it open to silence his brother’s yelling.

“Oh, great! You’re up.” The brunet chips at him before he can say anything.

Roxas feels his eye twitch and purses his lips. “Why are you screeching at me when the sun has just barely made it past the horizon?” He hisses out, crossing his arms defensively.

Sora shakes his head. “Come on, you didn’t seriously forget, did you?” He asks.

Roxas furrows his eyebrows for a moment, staring at his brother’s matching blue eyes with a confused look. Seconds go by and then his eyes widen in realization.

“The Celebration.” He grits out, pinching his nose and sighing. He feels Sora patting his shoulder gently.

“I had a feeling this would happen.” The brunet murmurs with a slight teasing in his voice. “That’s why I came by before everyone realizes you’re late for the grand arrival.” He says, walking into his brother’s room and closing the door.

Roxas stares at his brother’s outfit, the brunet already dressed and prepared for the day. Sora is dressed in a pale-yellow long coat with small suns embroidered into the fabric and a cream coloured cape lays around his shoulders. A brown leather belt is around his waist with a small dagger sheathed on it. He’s wearing cream coloured trousers and black leather boots that reach just below his knee.

“Ugh, I’m hot just looking at you.” Roxas groans, glancing out his window to the sun rising over the ocean. It was late summer in Destiny Islands, meaning that temperatures rose quick, and stayed for nearly the entirety of the day. And he was going to have to be dressed formally like Sora for the next three days…

The brunet turns to him, smiling brightly. “Cheer up, Roxas. It’s just a few days, and we get to attend a big party at the end! Isn’t that something to look forward to?” He offers.

Roxas wants to roll his eyes but they’re too heavy, still clouded with a sleepy haze. Instead he offers a weak grunt, walking to lay back down on his bed.

Sora dashes towards him, grabbing his wrist and pulling him toward his tall, tri-fold mirrors. “No, no, no. You need to stay up. We have to be in the garden court in thirty minutes.” He says, planting Roxas in front of the mirrors.

The spiky-haired blond turns to his brother, nearly choking. “Thirty minutes!? Sora I need to have a bath, I can’t-“

“No time!” Sora cries, running into Roxas’ closet, thus silencing him.

“Why didn’t any of the maids wake me?” The blond growls out, immediately following it up with a long yawn.

Sora’s muffled voice carries easily to his room. “They needed the extra help in the kitchen preparing the meals for the next coming days.” He explains.

Roxas doesn’t respond, instead choosing to glare at the patterned rug on his floor as if that would make him any less tired. Another minute or so later, Roxas falls into a lulled state, his head beginning to droop low. Just then, Sora returns and yells to catch his attention. The blond snaps his head up and sees Sora carrying an armful of various garments.

“If we’re not in that hall when King Xehanort is here we’re _dead_. You and I will be roasted to nothing but ashes by father!” He cries.

“Figuratively or literally?” Roxas asks, tilting his head at the scrambling brunet.

Sora gives him an unimpressed look, throwing a pair of tan trousers and underwear at him. “Both. Now shush and put these on.” He orders, trying to plan the rest of his twin’s outfit.

Roxas sighs in defeat and sheds his bottoms, reaching for the underwear. “Gods, I am not excited to see the King.” He says, slipping them up his legs and standing to adjust them.

Sora lets out a thoughtful sound, lying to pieces of clothing together before shaking his head. “Yea, I get this…odd feeling when I’m around him. But we shouldn’t judge. He’s a good man.” The brunet says.

Roxas shakes his head, grabbing the tan pants. “Sure, sure. Ignore your instinctive reaction to someone like that. Sounds reasonable.” He says sarcastically, hoisting the trousers up and looping a thin belt around them.

Sora tosses a white under shirt, a light, blue long coat and a matching coloured cape to the one he’s wearing at the blond. “Okay, here’s the rest. Wear your formal boots like mine.” He says, pointing to his own and ignoring the blond's previous comment.

Roxas grunts, pulling the undershirt over his head. “You always put me in blue.” He mutters, quirking his mouth down as he stares at the long coat.

His brother crosses his arms, giving him a cheeky grin. “It’s the best colour you could ever wear.” He says. “It brings out your eyes.”

Roxas rolls said eyes, slipping the long coat over his head and glancing at himself in the mirror as he smooths it out on him. Sora walks up to him, adjusting the sleeves with his undershirt. When he’s done with both arms, he stands in front of Roxas and pats his biceps lightly, offering him a bright smile. The blond can’t help cracking the slightest of smiles at his brother’s positivity.

“You have the same eyes as me, dummy.” Roxas teases quietly.

Sora laughs breathlessly, glancing at him quick as he turns to grab the cape. “It’s different. The blond hair is what sets us apart.” The brunet comments thoughtfully. Roxas shifts his gaze uncomfortably, shrugging and just letting Sora say what he wants, even if it doesn’t make much sense to him. His brother picks up the cape, fluffing it out and then wrapping around the blond’s shoulders. “Maybe this year you’ll meet someone worth wearing blue for.” He comments, winking at Roxas.

The blond blinks, the beginning of a flush forming on his face before his door slams open and Riku stands in the doorway, panting heavily with an expression of anxiousness and fury.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” The knight growls out. Sora and Roxas both give him blank looks, trying to feign ignorance.

The knight doesn't give them a chance to respond. “Downstairs. _Now._ ” Riku commands fiercely, his aquamarine eyes full of authority. If there was anyone around to witness such an act, they would probably be mortified by such insolence. However, Riku grew up with both Sora and Roxas in the castle, and at age sixteen became their personal knight, creating an even stronger bond between them. Their familiarity of Riku was that of a blood relative, so the two Princes were never offended by his rare authoritative manners.

Roxas looks down at his unlaced boots and then back up to Riku with his mouth open ready to protest, but pauses when he sees the pointed look directed at him and closes his mouth, walking out with Sora quietly. The three are silent as they make their way out of the east manor, Riku’s armour clinking with each step being the only audible sound.

When they’re halfway down the hall, Sora speaks up. “Was father out there Riku?” He asks quietly.

“No. But he probably is now.” The knight grumbles from behind them.

“Aw, you didn’t have to risk getting in trouble for us.” The brunet says, turning his head to the side to glance at the silver-haired knight.

Riku lets out a small scoff. “It would be my head too if you guys weren’t there.” He replies, but something in the way he says it makes Roxas think that’s not the full truth of why he came to find them. Sure, it was a knight’s job to protect and watch over them. Riku did that very well, keeping both Roxas and Sora out of danger for years. But Riku also had a very clear attachment to the brunet. Roxas wasn’t sure if anyone else saw it the way he did, but there was something between them that he would catch at times and be left wondering if there was something more to them.

The knight is saying something else to them as he holds the door to the front hall open for the Princes. Roxas isn’t really listening to him but he perks up when he hears the beginning of the ceremonial music, the trumpets sounding off in the distance.

Riku’s eyes widen and he lets out a string of curses. “Start running! People are arriving!” He yells. Sora and Roxas share a quick devious look before breaking out into a run towards the grand staircase, their capes whipping behind them. As they approach the top of the stairs, they both jump atop a railing and use the surface to slide all the way down on their feet. Sora lets out a cheer as they descend, grinning at Roxas brightly and he jumps off the end and sticks the landing.

“I don’t recall saying _use the railings to slide down the stairs_!” Riku bellows at them as they run towards the maid’s exit.

Roxas waves a hand behind them. “Sorry Riku, can’t talk we’re late!” He calls out into the empty grand room, snickering to himself when he hears the string of curses thrown his way. He slams the maid’s door open, dashing through the narrow hallways with Sora laughing on his tail.

“We’re dead.” The brunet says, laughing anyway. Roxas smiles triumphantly to himself as they exit the small corridor, opening the door running down the laundry lines filled with various fabrics blowing gently in the wind. One of the maids scolds the boys as they go by, wagging her finger at them. Sora just laughs, saying good morning as they enter the inner gardens.

Roxas peers around the corner of a hedge and sees the crowd gathered towards the entrance garden, no more than a couple hundred people. There are a handful of knights carrying the Eclipsis banner as they ride in and a carriage is beginning to arrive through the gates.

He turns back to Sora. “Xehanort hasn’t exited yet. Come on, let’s go!” He hisses, running towards where their father was now standing, waiting for the King’s arrival. Behind him to the left stands the eldest of his sons, Cloud and his betrothed, Aerith. On the other side of their father stands his most trusted advisor, Yen Sid and the head of the Royal Guard, Aeleus.

The two twins arrive in line with the Aerith and Cloud, panting lightly and smoothing out their clothes as the music begins to fade out. Roxas hears a slight giggle come from Aerith and looks up to see Cloud staring at him with the slightest of glints in his eye, even though his mouth is in a frown.

“Where have you been?” He asks lowly, his eyes fixing in front of him as the carriage comes to a stop.

Roxas swallows, feeling himself become warm already. “Slept in. Does father know we’re late?” He mutters back.

“That I do, my son.” The King says from a few feet ahead of them, his voice feeling louder than it is. Roxas clenches his eyes shut, wincing slightly. He sees Sora hang his head shamefully and sighs, patting his back.

There’s no further time for conversation though, because one of the guards is grasping the handle of the black carriage, opening it and offering a hand out. Roxas watches as the elder appears from the carriage, reaching his gloved hand out to the guard to support himself as he steps down gracefully. He’s standing far away, but his presence makes Roxas’ breath hitch and he has to restrain shaking his head back and forth to focus.

There are four other men standing in line in front of the carriage, their chins held high and gazes expressionless. Roxas recognizes two of the men, the Kingsguard, Xemnas and his advisory, Vexen. The four follow behind King Xehanort in matching steps, walking in two pairs. Roxas doesn’t pay them any mind, instead watching the King stalk towards them with his hands behind his back and the slightest of smirks on his face. The man is dressed nearly entirely in black, save for his white undercoat and gloves. His amber eyes seem to glow with a possessive radiance, making Roxas’ heartbeat pick up in unease.

He can tell Sora is anxious as well, the teen shifting his weight nervously. Roxas wants to squeeze his hand reassuringly, but clenches his fist instead, watching Xehanort approach his father. The King of Destiny Islands steps towards the King of Eclipsis, bowing slightly in greeting. Seconds later, Roxas and the rest of the group standing behind the King bow as well.

Xehanort and his followers bow in response and then the older man reaches for his father’s hands, holding them gently.

“My Lord Ansem, these Islands keep you looking youthful year after year.” Xehanort joists, his voice low and rumbling.

The King offers a warm smile to the amber-eyed man. “I must say I am grateful for its beauty and wonders. How was your trip, My Lord?” He asks.

Xehanort lowers his hands, waving one dismissively. “You know I have never been fond of sailing. Three days of it was more than enough. I am now content with my feet planted firm on the ground.” He says.

Ansem laughs quietly. “Well, as always: We welcome you to Destiny Islands.”

Xehanort nods and then turns towards the rest of the family. Roxas nearly jumps in surprise, watching the elder walk towards them. He stops in front of Cloud, staring at the blond intently.

“Your Grace,” Cloud murmurs, bowing again.

“Now, no need to bow again. We’re past that.” Xehanort chides. Cloud offers a strained smile, nodding in return.

He walks down the line towards Aerith, grasping her hand and pressing the back of his lips to it. “My, my. Lady Aerith you are simply radiant.” He says.

The brunette smiles gently at him. “Thank you, Your Grace. It is good to see you.” She says softly.

He stares at her for a moment longer before placing his hands behind his back and walking to stand in front of Roxas and Sora. Roxas feels his heartbeat pounding against his rib cage, mentally cursing at how this man makes him feel so intimidated.

The older man’s eyes stare into his for a few seconds before he speaks. They feel like the longest three seconds of Roxas’ life.

“Ah, and the twins.” He muses, his voice raspy.

“Your Grace.” They murmur in unison.

Xehenort stares at them blankly for a few seconds before he cracks a big smile, reaching his hands out around the back of their necks tenderly. Roxas jumps a little at the contact, gulping as the man’s white leather gloves brush against his hot skin.

“My, you both have grown so much since I last saw you. How has your training been going?” He asks, words full of kindness but his eyes hollow.

Roxas tries to open his mouth, tries to give a simple explanation of what they’ve been doing over the past year, but can’t seem to find his voice.

Thankfully Sora chimes in before the silence becomes too long. “It’s been swell, Your Grace. I’ve been getting better with staves, and Roxas has nearly memorized every spell in his tomes.” The brunet praises, smiling at the blond encouragingly.

Roxas offers a weak grin, nodding along. Xehenort pulls his hands away, folding them behind him again and nodding back. “That’s excellent to hear. You will have to show me sometime during my stay, boys.” The man says gruffly.

“That is an excellent idea, My Lord.” Ansem says loudly. Roxas’ eyes meet his father’s in surprise and the man holds him with an unmoving gaze. “Tonight, after dinner. Roxas and Sora can demonstrate some of their skill.” He declares sternly.

Roxas exhales slowly and nods. “I look forward to it.” He murmurs, eyes lowering to the ground.

“As do I.” Sora chimes in, forcing a smile.

Xehenort lets of a low laugh. “Come now Ansem. If you’re the man I know you are, I assume these boys train every day.” He says.

Ansem blinks at the older man, holding his gaze. “You would be correct in that assumption.” He offers.

“Then let them have a day off. We are here to celebrate the treaty of our nations, not train.” Xehenort says.

The King lets out a breath of amusement. “Forgive me My Lord, you are correct. Come, have you broken fast yet?” He asks, walking towards the elder.

The man shakes his head. “I have not. Please, if we could.” He says, following Ansem towards the castle. Aeleus starts to follow behind the two until Ansem holds his hand up.

“I shall speak with my friend in private. Please see that our guests are settled in.” The King commands, turning back to walk further into the gardens.

Roxas lets out a steady breath, glancing at Sora with a weary expression as the two men disappear from sight. His twin smiles sheepishly, reaching a hand behind his neck to feel the place Xehenort touched them both. Moments later Riku approaches the two, a bit of frustration still in his gaze.

“That was very lucky.” He comments, kind of annoyed they got off the hook so easily. People are starting to disperse out of the garden away from the castle. Roxas glances at them boredly, his eyes catching the various people.

Sora laughs nervously, dropping his hand. “Yea, who would have thought the King would bail us out like that?” He murmurs.

“Not me.” Roxas says lowly, still scanning the various people. He sees Yen Sid speaking with Vexen, the man’s hands waving about as he speaks. His hair is straight and long, coming long past his shoulders in a platinum blond hue. He stands a distance away from them, but Roxas can see his acidic green eyes that look like they could poison you if you stared too long. Roxas never liked him growing up. And he still doesn’t to this day.

“Riku, I didn’t even hear you come in.” Sora says exasperatedly.

The knight rolls his eyes, smirking. “That’s because unlike you two bulls, I came in here quietly and when there was little attention by the knights.” He says.

“Bulls!? Next time you get injured in training don’t come crying to me to heal you.” The brunet huffs, glancing away. Riku laughs quietly.

Roxas blinks when he sees a man standing with Xemnas. What catches his eyes is the man’s stunning red hair, tied back with a leather band. Some of spikes are sticking out in his ponytail, making him wonder what the man looks like with his hair down. The man’s lips are curled in a slight smile as he speaks to another of one King Xehanort’s men. The redhead’s eyes are green, both like and unlike Vexen’s. They have the same brightness, but this man’s eyes are much more inviting, even a little playful looking. Roxas feels the corner of his mouth twitch and breaks his gaze when he realizes he’s staring, turning back to his brother and Riku.

“I’d like to eat now; will you join us?” Cloud says to them. Sora nods and Roxas follows suit. The eldest brother walks over to Yen Sid and Vexen.

“Pardon my interruption, will you and the other guests be joining our morning meal?” He asks politely, ever the host.

Vexen looks at the blond with pursed lips. “Ah, My Prince I am afraid not. We are all quite worn out from the travel. Perhaps we could be shown to our quarters?”

Cloud nods once. “Of course.” He pauses, turning to look at one of the knights standing along the gardens. “Leon.” He calls out.

A soldier steps forward, his eyes sharp as he speaks. “Yes, My Prince?”

“Please see our guests to their rooms in the south manor, and have the maids take care of everyone’s belongings. Return to the east dining hall afterwards.” He orders, staring at the knight with an intense gaze.

Leon holds the blond’s stare, nodding. “At once, Your Highness.” He responds lowly, turning to the guests and then asking them to follow him. Roxas watches as Cloud’s personal knight does as he’s told, leading Xemnas, Vexen and the two other men Roxas doesn’t know towards the castle. As they’re walking by, Roxas stares at the man with the spiky red hair as he passes, trying to observe him a little closer.

This time though the redhead catches him staring and spares a glance at him, his expression blank for a moment before he looks at the blond’s feet and then back up to his face. His emerald eyes light up in amusement, along with a perfectly arched red eyebrow and another glance down at the blond’s feet again as he passes by.

The blond blinks, glancing down and being reminded of his unlaced boots. He feels his face warm up in embarrassment, his eyes shooting up the look at the redhead again. He’s walked passed them alongside the other men, but Roxas swears he sees a smirk on the side of the man’s face from where he’s standing. He curses mentally, trying not to look down at his boots again to draw attention.

“Aeleus, please escort the remaining knights to their appropriate area and have someone take their horses to the stable.” Cloud continues, turning to the head of the Royal Guard. The man simply nods, not responding and beginning to round up the knights.

Roxas stares at his older brother thoughtfully. He was going to make a good heir to the throne, even if he wasn’t too keen on nobility.

“Come along then boys.” Aerith calls to them gently. Cloud holds his arm out for the brunette and she slides her hand in the crook of his elbow gently. Roxas quickly tucks his undone laces into his boots and starts following behind the couple with Sora at his side. He watches Aerith’s light pink gown trail behind her lightly, hugging her slim form beautifully. Her long, chestnut hair is tied back into a half braid, with the rest of it falling down her back in loose waves. Cloud is dressed in a deep blue long coat with white pants and brown leather boots, with a large sword sheathed along his belt. Roxas can see the head of the lion poking out from the hilt of the blade, the steel glinting in the daylight.

The four make their way into the inner gardens with Riku trailing behind them, passing by the large multi-tier fountain spraying water in beautiful patterns around them. Roxas glances at the various tropical plants and flowers in bloom, bringing a beautiful warmth to the garden around them. He can hear birds calling out towards the ocean, and looks upwards to stare at the clear blue sky. It makes him feel more at ease, releasing the tension out of his shoulders as he walks.

Eventually they reach the east dining hall, entering the large room to be met with a large table of food already prepared for them. Roxas feels his mouth water as the smells of the cooked food hit him.

Sora clearly feels the same way, licking his lips. “I could eat this whole table in one sitting right now.” He says, eyes filled with hunger.

Roxas snickers as he walks to his usual seat, pulling the chair out and sitting. He nods in thanks to the maid who fills his cup up with water, taking a large gulp and nearly finishing the cup in one swift movement.

He hears Aerith’s giggle as she sits across from him, sipping her drink. “My Roxas, you must be parched.” She says.

The young blond tries not to groan, rubbing the back of his hand over his forehead. “I’m already so hot in these stupid clothes, and it’s still just morning.” He complains, finishing his water and seeing a maid come towards him with the carafe full of fresh water.

“They’re not stupid Roxas, they’re traditional. And you will wear them for the next few days.” Cloud says, a hint of sternness in his voice.

Roxas picks up his fork, stabbing into the beef maybe just a bit too harshly and grits his teeth. “I know that.” He mutters.

“Halt. We are not ready to eat yet.” Cloud says, raising his hand towards Roxas.

The blond quirks his brow, lowering his fork. “Why not?”

The sound of wood being knocked on swiftly takes his attention away, staring at the large double doors. A moment later Leon enters, bowing to the group as he steps forward.

“Ah, Leon. Just on time.” Cloud murmurs, staring towards the night dressed in armour.

“Your Grace?” The stoic brunet asks, standing still with his arms at his sides and a questioning gaze.

The spiky-haired blond stands up. “King Xehenort’s words earlier struck a chord with me. These next days we are to celebrate and I think that should extend beyond the union of our nations.” He explains quietly, his eyes still locked on Leon’s. Roxas resists the urge to narrow his eyes in thought.

“That’s why for the remainder of the Celebration I’d ask that you and Riku,” Cloud pauses, turning to address the silver-haired knight as well. “Join us in eating each meal. As a thank-you for your loyalty over the years.” Cloud finishes.

Roxas hears one of the maids gasp in shock and has to bite his lip to keep from laughing at how dramatic some of the servants are. He sees Aerith and Sora both have warm smiles on their face, pleased with Cloud’s unorthodox generosity. Leon and Riku are both surprised, the brunet being the one to speak first.

“Your Grace,” Leon starts. “I thank you for your kindness, however your father will simply not stand for this-“

“My father will be eating privately with the King during most meals as he does every year when they see each other.” Cloud interrupts, his voice quiet but robust.

Leon finally breaks eye contact, looking at the ground. He doesn’t say anything, clearly still uncertain if it would be a wise thing to do.

“We...would be honoured, Your Grace.” Riku says, accepting the offer after the older knight’s silence remains.

The Prince nods, sitting down and glancing at Aerith. She’s still smiling, reaching over to lay her hand atop his. “You are simply wonderful, my love.” She coos.

He offers her a small smile. To Roxas, it isn’t a smile that people who truly love each other share. It’s more of an affectionate warmth one shows to a close friend. It reaffirms the younger blond’s thoughts that Cloud doesn’t love Aerith like the way she would ever want. He’s good at acting though, because it’s hard to tell that Cloud’s actions towards the Lady aren’t fuelled by love, but rather duty. The unfortunate part about it all is that they were to be married in a month. Roxas hoped he didn’t end up in the same position as his older brother.

Within a few minutes the two knights have shed their bulky armour, and approach the table. Leon sits on the other side of Cloud hesitantly and Riku sits on the other side of Sora.

“Alright, let us begin.” The eldest brother declares quietly, taking a sip of his drink. Aerith and Sora fill the silence with their chatter as they eat, the two brunets far more social than the other three. When everything is finished Leon and Riku both thank the Prince again for his kindness, putting their armour back on as the food is cleared away.

“Cloud, might we take a walk together along the shore?” Aerith asks him softly. He nods quickly, standing up and offering an arm to the brunette.

“Of course. Roxas, Sora.” He says, looking to both of the twins. “No more foolery while the King is here.” The blond commands, his eyes icy. The brothers nod, Sora more enthusiastic than Roxas. The younger blond watches his brother and Aerith exit silently, Leon trailing behind them. Roxas sighs when the door closes behind them, leaving the three teens left.

Sora stretches his arms above his head. “Well, what now?” He asks, leaning back in his seat.

“The only thing requiring your attendance today is the dinner this eve.” Riku responds, finished redressing his armour and resting his hand on the hilt of his sword casually.

Sora hums thoughtfully. “I shall visit the orphanage shortly then. Will you join me Roxas?” He asks.

The blond in question shakes his head. “Nah. I’ve got to catch up on some readings. I’ll be staying in the library for the remainder of the day.”

“Looks like it will be just you and I then, Riku.” Sora says, looking towards the knight with a small smile. Riku nods once, the side of his mouth turning upwards in the slightest smile back.

“An honour as always, My Prince.” He says courteously.

Roxas rolls his eyes, hearing his twin giggle slightly at the knight’s mannerisms. Sora acts like a young maiden whenever Riku plays into his role as a knight seriously. It makes Roxas want to vomit.

The two excuse themselves shortly, leaving Roxas alone and he stands up to walk towards one of the windows of the castle. He leans against the stone walls, glancing out to the bright ocean as the waves wash along the soft white sands of the beaches.

“My Lord?” One of the maids asks, turning to him. “Is everything alright?” She asks, folding her hands behind her back. Roxas blinks, jolting out of his daze and clears his throat.

“Oh, yes.” He murmurs, glancing to the side. “I-I’ll be in the library studying if I am needed.” The blond says, turning away swiftly and walking towards the door.

“Of course, My Lord.” He hears her say behind him. He doesn’t look back, instead walking out of the room and to the right of the large hallway. He walks down the empty hall silently, pausing when he hears a tapping noise. He looks down, seeing that one of his laces has fallen out of the boot and is tapping against it as he walks.

He lets out an annoyed huff, crouching down to tie the boots up. He thinks back to earlier when the red-haired man saw him and pointed out his unkempt appearance and feels his face flush up again. Dammit, why did that bug him so much? He didn’t even know the man, but the way he looked at Roxas made him feel a certain way, like the man could read the blond like one of his tomes.

When both boots are laced up, he walks out of the large doors of the east manor and paces towards the staircase, resisting the urge to slide down the railing again. He knows he can’t because there’s a good chance someone would see him, and if it happened to be one of the guests, Roxas would most likely be buried in an early grave by his father. Instead he walks down the steps carefully, staring at the doorways to the south manor on the second floor. That’s where the red-haired man would be staying for the next few days. Thinking about that makes him bite his lips, holding onto the railing as he nears the bottom of the stairs. He walks to the library swiftly, intent on drowning himself in ancient texts and forgetting about the man’s emerald eyes.

* * *

After hours of reading lines of texts in the Old Tongue, Roxas is summoned for dinner in the north hall. He puts away all of the books he’d been studying from, ignoring one of the maid’s protest saying she could clean up after him. He strides out of the library into the front hall, seeing various high-ranking officials gathering towards the staircase towards the north hall. Roxas lets out a long breath, hoping none of them try to speak to him as he proceeds to the dining room.

Unfortunately he is not so lucky, caught in between two councillors who are asking him what he is looking forward to the most about the Celebration. He has to bite back the instinctual response consisting of _the second everyone is out of the castle and I can wear normal clothes again instead of heavy coats and capes_ , instead giving a rehearsed response about seeing the continued peace and prosperity of the Destiny Islands and Eclipsis as united countries. The men both smile brightly at his response, exclaiming that he is a well-spoken man for such a young age.

He starts to tune them out, walking into the double doors leading to the dining room, nearly filled with all of the guests already. There is one long table at the end of the room, hosting his father, Xehanort and Sora. There are four long tables running along the room vertically, about forty feet long each. Half of the tables are filled by nobles and the other half by knights. Roxas walks along the side of the room, keeping his gaze in front of him as he walks. When he approaches his seat at the head table, he greets his father and Xehanort before walking to sit next to Sora.

“Roxas! How was your studying?” The brunet asks, happy to have someone else with him besides the two Kings.

The blond sits down at the end of the table, pulling his chair forward. “Fine. And the kids?” He asks, not feeling like talking much.

“They’re all great! But there’s these two boys, Hayner and Seifer, who can just never seem to get along.” He muses, tapping a finger to his mouth thoughtfully.

Roxas chuckles quietly. “They must make quite the commotion for you to say that.” He says.

Sora involved himself with the orphanage in Destiny Islands quite often, feeling that he had a duty to care for the children who had no families. He spent his time playing with the kids, reading to them and playing games with them on the beach. While his father looked down on such a poor man’s way of acting, Sora was beloved by the children and many other civilians who saw his kindness. He even brought the kids food whenever he visited, always stuffing his clothes to the brim with extra breads, meats and cheeses.

The brunet smiles tiredly, glancing at one of the chandeliers lit with several candles around it. “You have no idea Roxas.” He murmurs, sipping from his chalice.

The blond sees Cloud and Aerith enter the dining room, making their way to the horizontal table at the back. They greet the Kings and then take their seats at the table, settling themselves in for the meal. Moments later Ansem stands up and the men and women seated around them begin to fall silent as they notice.

Once there is nothing to be heard, the King speaks. “My dearest friends, this is the ninety-second anniversary of the treaty between Destiny Islands and Eclipsis. Ninety-two years of peace between our great nations. A feat worth celebrating, I must say.” He states, earning a few chuckles from the tables of people.

“I ask that tonight whether you are an Islander or from Eclipsis, that you fill your stomachs with hearty food and drink until you can do so no more. Feast upon the riches our lands have to offer, and enjoy the festivities.” He finishes. The room erupts in joyous shouts and clapping, followed by maids beginning to enter the room with plates upon plates of food. It’s not long before everyone is digging into the food, the room full of chatter, laughter and yelling.

Roxas is quiet, content with watching the people around him as he eats. Sora and Aerith are chatting together again anyway, so it’s not like he is being rude staying silent. His eyes scan up and down the tables, searching for the man he saw earlier. He frowns slightly when he can’t seem to locate him, especially because he would be so easy to pick out in a crowd full of people like this. But there are no distinct red spikes catching his attention like earlier, leaving him to sigh dully and poke at the food on his plate.

“Everything okay Roxas?” Sora nearly whispers to him, making him jump slightly.

“Oh! Um, yes. Just thinking is all.” He rushes out, scratching the side of his head.

Sora nods at him slowly. “Well, okay. If you say so.” He says, sipping his wine. Roxas sees the exhausted look in Sora’s eyes and tilts his head to the side in confusion.

“Is everything okay with _you_?” The blond asks, quirking an eyebrow. “You look like you’re about to pass out any second.”

Sora smiles weakly at him. “I have to say, I’m feeling pretty worn out from the day’s activities.” He says, thanking a servant as they take his finished plate away.

“You should get to bed early tonight then.” Aerith suggests. “Tomorrow with be an even busier day.” She says, taking a drink of her wine.

Sora nods gently, blinking a few times sleepily. “Perhaps you’re right.” He murmurs, pressing his back against the chair. Once dinner if officially concluded, Sora stands up and Roxas notices him sway just a bit.

“Hey,” he says, leaning close to the brunet. “Are you seriously alright? Should I call for the Maester?” Roxas asks.

Sora shakes his head side-to-side. “No Roxas, that’s unnecessary. Please, I’m alright. I just need to go to my room.” He says tiredly, beginning to walk to the exit of the dining room. Roxas stares at the back of his head quizzically, unsure why his brother is acting so strange all of a sudden. He must truly be tired to behave in such a manner. The blond watches Riku follow the brunet out, seeing his lips move as he says something to Sora.

“Roxas, perhaps you’d care to join us on an evening walk around the castle walls?” His father asks, gesturing to himself and Xehanort as he stands up from his seat.

The blue-eyed teen nods hastily. “Of course, Your Grace. It would be a pleasure.” He says, not meeting Xehanort’s gaze. He strolls behind the two men as they walk along the walls of the castle, chiming into the conversation only when he is spoken to. After about an hour of walking, his father dismisses him, and Xehanort thanks him for joining them with a smile that sends a chill down the blond’s spine. He does his best to walk away at a normal pace instead of dashing away, eager to be as far away from the older man as possible.

When he’s by himself in the east manor hall, he lets out a loud sigh, relieved to get back to his room. The blond breaks out into a light run to his bedroom door, opening it quickly and locking it behind him. He notices the various candles lit to provide him light seeing as the sun has already set and walks over to his bathing room, seeing that a bath has been drawn for him.

“Thank the Gods.” He murmurs in appreciation, beginning to untie his cape. Once the knot is undone, he lies the fabric over top of a chair, preventing it from wrinkling. Next he moves to his boots, unlacing the ties and shrugging them off his feet eagerly. The rest of his outfit comes off easily, Roxas hanging the pants and long coat up as well, but throwing his undergarments lazily across the ground. He strolls into the smaller room naked, walking up the entrance steps and lowering himself into the now cold water.

Normally he would have shivered and leapt out of such temperatures, the water clearly having been drawn long ago. It most likely was done shortly after dinner, the maids not knowing that he was busy with his father and Xehanort.

But Roxas has been sweating in his heavy clothes all day, and the cooling water against his still burning skin is calming. He sighs blissfully as he sinks into the bath, feeling goosebumps erupt across his arms. The blond takes his time as he bathes himself, washing his skin clean and allowing himself to wind down for the evening.

When he’s thoroughly cleaned every inch of his skin he exits the bath, dripping onto the ground and grabbing a thick cotton towel, rubbing it along his face and across his body. The evening gifts him with a cool breeze passes through his window, tousling his hair softly. He smiles, grabbing fresh undergarments to wear and slides into bed, hearing the birds still calling in the distance. The sounds of the waves crashing against the shoreline are audible as well, quickly lulling Roxas into a deep sleep.

 


	2. A Bad Omen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, another chapter in three days! The only reason this is possible is because I'm on holidays :) so I'll try to keep a decent pace with writing like this for the time being. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Roxas blinks repeatedly, his eyes trying to adjust to the morning as he is awakened to the sound of his door being knocked on again. This time, it’s not the constant banging like Sora’s knocking yesterday, but rather a light rapping. Faint memories of his dreams from the previous night cloud his mind as he struggles to fight off his tiredness. He doesn’t remember much, but the emerald eyes that flashed him an amused expression yesterday feel familiar. He groans, burying his head into a pillow.

“Prince Rocas!” One of the maid’s calls to him. “It’s time to awaken, you have to be dressed and ready shortly if you don’t want to miss breakfast!” She says, her voice carrying through the door.

Roxas whines lowly, not wanting to leave the comfort of his bed and pulls his blankets tighter around himself. Eventually he stands up, stumbling over to the door sleepily to unlock it and allow the maid in. She walks by him quickly with a handful of his washed and folded clothes, the short, plump woman moving towards his dressing table.

“Did you sleep well last night, dear?” She asks, setting his clothes down on the vanity. He rubs at his eyes tiredly and blinks the fuzzy spots out of them after.

“Yes, it was fine. And yourself?” He asks, removing his shirt carelessly.

The maid smiles at him gently. “I did. Thank you for asking, My Lord.” She says, passing him his undergarments and turning around to give him privacy. He’s a little uncomfortable with her still standing there, but moves quickly, replacing his worn clothes with freshly washed fabrics, smelling the lavender scent in them.

She turns back to him when he’s done, holding out a deep red long coat. “I heard you were complaining about the heat yesterday, so I picked out a more breathable outfit for you today.” She explains.

Roxas runs his hand over the soft, light fabric. He slips it over his head, feeling how loose the coat is even though it still covers his arms and ends just above his knees. The maid walks behind him to straighten out the garment, fluffing out the loose fabric and adjusting it on his frame. When she’s done, Roxas puts on the loose pair of light-coloured pants and the thin leather ankle boots, sighing in appreciation when the maid bends down to put them on for him. These were much better than the thick leather boots yesterday.

“Unfortunately, for tonight’s festivity you will have to wear lots of layers, so be sure to enjoy this while you can.” She chirps, finishing lacing his boots and rising. She grabs his belt off of the table, tying it around his hips and passes him his dagger he always carries. He nods at her, thanking the maid and exiting his room towards the east dining hall for breakfast.

When he arrives Cloud, Aerith and Leon are already eating with each other and speaking quietly. They look up as Roxas enters and the young blond nods at them, walking towards his usual seat.

“Good morning Roxas.” Aerith welcomes, smiling at him. Today her hair is braided atop of her head like a crown and she wears a bright green silk dress. It makes Roxas' mind flash a thought of the striking emerald eyes from yesterday and he has to look away quickly after responding to her greeting to stop thinking about them.

“Good morning. Sora hasn’t arrived yet?” He asks, glancing at the empty seat next to him.

Cloud shakes his head slightly. “I’m sure he’s alright. Riku is most likely with him.” The older blond murmurs, sipping his drink.

Roxas nods to himself, thinking back to how Sora said he was feeling more tired than normal yesterday evening after dinner. He finally looks back at his food, beginning to eat as he sits on the opposite side of the table by himself.

“We’re going into town today for the parade of King Xehanort’s arrival.” Cloud says to Roxas lowly. “And then after lunch you and Sora have been asked to practice your magic for him and father.” He explains.

Roxas hums along as he eats, trying to hold back the nervousness that creeps up his neck. He and Sora had sparred a few times recently to practice for when the King visited, having expected some kind of test to show off their skill. Still, the thought of having to practically perform for the King makes his hands feel clammy in shyness. He wishes Sora was here with him to calm him down.

“I see.” Roxas murmurs, taking a bite of the roasted salmon. “And what time does the evening party begin?” The younger blond asks, trying to take his mind away from panicking.

“Just after sunset.” Cloud responds.

Aerith sets her fork down, taking a drink of her water. “I am looking forward to it. We will have such a great time celebrating tonight.” She says with a smile on her face.

Roxas nods weakly, his foot tapping under the table nervously. He’s about halfway done his meal and Sora still hasn’t shown up yet. He purses his lips, wondering if his twin is okay. Cloud was right though; if Riku was with him then there was nothing to be worried about, and yet the nagging feeling in the back of his mind won’t seem to settle down as more time passes and Sora doesn’t arrive.

When everyone has finished their meal and their dishes have been cleared away, Roxas stands up to excuse himself. “I’m going to find Sora.” He declares, pushing his chair back into place. The three nod at him silently, Cloud calling out to the younger blond as he is leaving.

“You need to be in the gardens shortly. Don’t be late.” He warns, a strict tone present in his voice. Roxas blinks and nods at his older brother, exiting the dining room and turning to walk towards Sora’s bedroom. Just as he steps out of the doors though, Sora is merely feet away from him on the other side with Riku behind him, looking worn out.

He startles Roxas, the blond flinching when he sees the two. “I was just coming to find you. What’s the matter?” He asks, looking Sora up and down. The spiky-haired brunet is ready for the day, dressed in a grey formal coat with a white cape around his shoulders, tanned loose pants and matching leather boots to the one’s Roxas is wearing. Sora looks like he just rolled out of bed though, his blue eyes looking tired and the skin around them dark with exhaustion.

Sora rubs at his eyes absentmindedly, letting out a muffled sound is response. “I don’t feel particularly well today.” He says quietly, the normal bubbly tone in his voice lost.

Roxas spares a quick glance at Riku, seeing the knight stare back at him with a slight shrug, seemingly willing to accept the explanation. The blond looks at Sora again, reaching a hand out to his shoulder. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright? Maybe we should summon the Measter today.” He says, looking down the east manor hallway.

The brunet shakes his head, removing Roxas’ hand from his shoulder gently. “Your worry is endearing Roxas, but please do not. Father would be livid if I was in bed during the parade.” He says.

Roxas bites his lip, glancing back at his twin. “We also have to spar for King Xehanort this afternoon.” He adds quietly, trying to read Sora’s expression.

The brunet looks to the ground for a moment before he forces a smile onto his face. “And the party is tonight too…Well, today is going to be a busy day then. Let’s go!” He says, the cheer back in his voice. The brunet’s voice is strained as he says it, but he grabs Roxas’ wrist and leads him down the hallway.

“Sora, you haven’t eaten yet.” Riku calls to them from behind. Sora pauses, turning to Riku and pursing his lips.

“No matter, I haven’t got much of an appetite this morning anyway.” The brunet says as he waves his free hand and begins to walk down the hallway again, still holding onto Roxas’ wrist. The blond says nothing and allows himself to be dragged by Sora, but stares at the back of his head thoughtfully as they walk. Sora never skipped breakfast, the teen always seeming to have an appetite no matter what the time of day.

Roxas feels his mouth turn downwards slightly. “Sora…are you sure you’re okay?” He asks quietly, a genuine concern in his voice.

At first, Sora doesn’t say anything, exiting the east manor and walking towards the staircase, his heels clicking against the ground as he walks. When he’s at the top of the stairs he pauses, letting go of Roxas’ wrist he turns to the blond and Riku. “I’m tired and my head kinda hurts…but we can’t let that get in the way of everything going on today!” The brunet announces, clenching his fist to himself.

Riku opens his mouth to protest. “I’m sure the King would understand-“

“I’ll be _fine_.” Sora insists, grinning brightly at them and turning to walk down the stairs.

The knight and Roxas share a questioning glance before accepting the end of the conversation and following behind Sora quietly. No more words are exchanged between them and when they get to the large front doors, Riku holds one open for the Princes. They are greeted with servants, immediately grabbing a hold of the twins and leading them towards the inner gardens. Roxas sees a gathering of people preparing for the parade, various performers, knights, nobles and guests readying themselves.

The servants lead Sora and Roxas to the front of the parade by the outer gardens, where their white horses are saddled and ready to ride. A squire approaches them, the tanned blond greeting the teens with a toothy grin. Sora smiles brightly at the teen while Roxas offers a small nod.

“The parade will be beginning shortly once the Kings arrive.” The squire explains, holding out the reigns of the horses. Roxas walks over to his steed, taking the reigns from the squire and mounts the horse easily, settling himself into the saddle. Sora does the same, thanking the squire by name and leaping onto his horse. Roxas stares at his twin thoughtfully, surprised that he knows the boy's name. Sora always seemed to remember people's names, no matter what their birthright was. The thought is diminished when Sora begins cooing to his horse, petting her mane gently as he speaks to her. Roxas watches with an amused expression, his brother always having an attachment to animals, even since childhood.

The squire dismisses himself shortly after, explaining that they will be riding behind the carriage hosting both the Kings, Cloud and Aerith for the duration of the route. He describes the path they will follow and bows as he leaves, wishing them good luck and walking off to double check that everything else is ready to begin.

Minutes later Aerith and Cloud arrive behind the Kings, the two men standing at the top of the stairs and pausing. A hush falls across the crowd of people preparing for the parade, all eyes on Ansem and Xehanort. The two men couldn’t have looked more different if they wanted to. The King of Destiny Islands is dressed in layers of long white robes with gold accents embroidered into them, along with a simple gold crown placed atop of his blond hair. The King of Eclipsis is dressed similar to how he was yesterday, his outfit consisting of all black clothing. His leather coat clings to his body tightly, falling just short of his knees, with simple black pants and boots. He wears no crown atop of his head, but stands with a fierce authority that makes Roxas think he doesn’t even need it.

The four make their way down the steps carefully, walking towards the black and gold carriage at the front of the parade. It stands proudly, large and tall with an open roof. The driver sits patiently with the two black steeds standing in front of him, tied to the carriage and waiting for their command. The squire from earlier opens the carriage door for the four as they approach, bowing and greeting them individually. Roxas watches his father and Xehanort sit in in the front seat, while Aerith and Cloud sit together in the back.

The sun is already high in the sky, its morning rays beaming down on them. Roxas tries to hold back the sigh from his lips, feeling himself become warm already. He blinks, hearing the start of trumpets beginning to chorus and clenches his horse’s reigns tightly, watching the large gates to the gardens open slowly. Some of the dancers begin to walk forward, signalling the start of the parade.

He spares another glance towards Sora, seeing the brunet stare at the moving gates with a small smile on his face. The blond can tell he’s still trying to force it, but isn’t able to spend any more time lingering on it as he hears the carriage driver call out to the horses to begin riding. The carriage begins rolling forward passed the gates, and soon enough he and Sora are striding in tow with each other slowly as an ensemble of instruments play loudly around them.

There are many people gathered to the sides of the streets as soon as they exit the gates, and Roxas hears them beginning to cheer as they spot the beginning of the parade. The noise and excitement make him feel nervous, not particularly enjoying the commotion of it all. However, Roxas knows he cannot simply ride through town with his head hung low like a scared child. He looks to Sora, seeing that his twin is already waving to people as they walk by, calling out hellos and good days to the people.

He hears someone from the crowds call his name, catching his attention and turning to look to his left. He blinks, trying to locate the source of the calling, seeing a group of young women waving towards him and smiling as they continue to call to the Prince. His eyes widen slightly and he feels a shy flush creep up his neck, waving to the women back sheepishly and giving a small smile in return. He gulps nervously, feeling overwhelmed and trying not to let it show as they begin riding towards the beach.

When the sea becomes visible past the streets, Roxas stares at it longingly as he momentarily blocks out the commotion around him. All he sees are the rich blue hues extending far beyond the horizon he could never reach and birds flying distances he would never be able to cross. He wonders what it would be like to travel off of the islands to explore the rest of the world. Destiny Islands is the only place he has ever been, not ever travelling beyond it’s borders due to his duty at the castle, but Roxas yearns to be able to leave one day. He wants to see more than just sandy beaches and blue waters in his lifetime.

Halfway into their route, Roxas feels himself starting to get hot in his outfit, trying to resist the urge to wipe the sweat beginning to build on the back of his neck. He forces a tight smile, waving every now and again to people who call to him, but doesn’t offer near to close the amount of effort Sora or even Aerith do. Both of them are grinning brightly at everyone around them, waving and looking like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves despite the heat. He sees Cloud wave every now and again, but the eldest Prince remains quiet throughout the parade. The Kings wave to the people periodically, however neither of them offer many smiles, instead choosing to make quiet conversation with each other. Since he’s arrived, Roxas has seen the King talk to his father for hours. What more could they be discussing right now?

By the time they are returning to the gates of the castle again, Roxas can’t hold it back anymore and quickly wipes his face with the sleeve of his coat, trying to mask it off as reaching up to wave at some civilians. He swallows dryly, throat itching for some water right now. Gods, it’s so hot out.

He glances at Sora once they’re past the gates, seeing his twin panting lightly as he wipes his forehead with the sleeve of his jacket. “Wow, I didn’t realize how hot I would get.” He says, taking shallow breaths.

Roxas bites back the urge to ask his brother if he’s okay again, instead turning his attention to the squire who offers to help him down. He accepts the man’s hand, lowering himself from the horse and patting him gently as Sora walks next to him, wiping his forehead again. Seconds later Riku is back with them, having followed behind the twins on his own steed during the parade. He holds out a leather flask to the brunet wordlessly and Sora grabs it with a hasty ‘thanks’, gulping nearly the whole thing down at once.

Roxas is about to glare at Riku and ask why he didn’t give _him_ any water before the knight pulls out a second flask, passing it to Roxas. He looks to the silver-haired knight passively, murmuring a thank-you and he uncaps the bottle.

“You thought I forgot about you there, didn’t you?” Riku asks, his eyes glinting mischievously.

Roxas turns away as he takes a sip of the water, not wanting to give the older man the sight of his sheepish expression. “Shut up.” He mutters.

Riku laughs quietly, then the three turn their attention to King Ansem who is glancing towards them. “King Xehanort and myself are going to have lunch together. Afterwards, you two will prepare for your performance.” He says, voice serious. Both Sora and Roxas nod silently, straightening up.

They wait for the men to exit the gardens before they relax again and Sora finishes the rest of his water heartily, shaking the empty flask above his mouth when there’s nothing left. He lets out a noise of frustration and Roxas rolls his eyes, passing the brunet his flask. Sora accepts it with a thanks, drinking the water hastily.

Shortly they make their way back into the castle to have lunch. They pause to freshen themselves up in a powder room, washing their faces and wiping off as much sweat from themselves as they can. When they return to the east dining hall, food has already been served amongst everyone. Roxas ends up eating two full plates of food at lunch, not realizing how hungry he is. He loses track of how many glasses of water he drinks, finally feeling refreshed after countless cups. He notices that Sora didn’t finish his meal, but at least consumed half of the plate and drank lots of water.

As lunch is being cleared, a servant enters the dining room and bows to them. “Pardon my interruption. The King has asked me to summon you all to the courtyard for the Prince's sparring. Prince Cloud is to spar with one of the knights first, then Prince Sora and Prince Roxas will follow.” He explains. Cloud nods as the servant continues.

“Your practice weapons and tomes have already been brought to the courtyard. You have a quarter of an hour to prepare and the Kings will observe from the balconies.” He concludes swiftly, bowing quick and beginning to walk away. Typically, Sora and Roxas train among themselves with targets but seeing as today is a special day, their father preferred they spar with each other in order to demonstrate their combat skills to Xehanort as well.

The twins share a look before standing up to make their way to the courtyard. Cloud and Aerith follow behind them quietly, along with the two knights.

“What element do you plan to use today?” Sora asks as they exit the west doors.

Roxas shrugs, pursing his lips. “Dunno yet. Haven’t decided.” He says.

As they step back outside, Roxas glances across the courtyard and sees that no one has arrived yet. The courtyard has a large, rectangular platform made of stone where the sparring will take place. There are four palm trees surrounding the platform’s corners, their large leaves tousling gently as a light breeze passes through them. Roxas looks up at the three overhanging balconies supported by tall pillars, frowning at all the space available for viewing.

“How many people are going to be watching this?” The younger blond asks, looking towards Cloud who is walking towards a table with various weapons and tomes laid out across it.

His older brother is dressed in a loose, tanned leather coat with a white undershirt underneath. He wears matching pants and knee-high dark brown leather boots. The blond is tying a leather belt around his waist with his sparring sword attached and then double checks that it’s secure. “Well, I’d imagine most of our guests, and I’m sure some passerby’s will want to watch.” He says quietly, not looking at Roxas as he slides his leather gloves on.

His brother’s response does little to help his nerves, making Roxas look to the ground anxiously. He watches Sora walk over to a table as well, picking up his light tome out of the various items and weapons and opening it to scan over the spells he rehearsed. Roxas stands still where he is, his legs feeling heavy on the ground. He looks to his side when he feels a hand placed on his shoulder gently. It’s Aerith, and she’s smiling at him tenderly.

“You’re nervous.” She nearly whispers to him.

He gulps, meeting her gaze and nodding slowly. “Try to relax, it’s just like normal training.” Aerith says comfortingly.

Roxas takes a breath, nodding to himself. “Right. I’ll try.” He says. Aerith drops her hand from his shoulder, wishing him luck and walking towards one of the seats in the shade of the castle. The blond turns back to his brothers, walking towards them.

“Cloud, who are you sparring with today?” Sora asks as he closes his tome.

The older blond looks at Sora before sparing a glance towards Leon, who is standing next to Riku silently a few feet away next to one of the pillars. The brunet knight stares at him back with his usual stoic glance before a dawn of realization comes upon his face. “My Lord?” He asks, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

“Father intended for me to spar with one of the Royal Knights. I think there’s no one more appropriate.” Cloud says simply, his voice low.

Roxas sees the way Leon’s brows furrow in thought, the knight clearly having an issue despite the compliment. “Wouldn’t someone like Aeleus be more appropriate? He is the head of the Royal Knights, after all.” He says.

“He is also twice my size and could knock me down with one sweep of his blade.” Cloud muses, crossing his arms.

Leon breaks eye contact, looking to the side. “Prince Cloud, I swore an oath to be your personal knight-”

“And as my personal knight, is it not your duty to follow my command?” The Prince interrupts quietly, but firmly. Him and Leon stare at each other for a moment, both the men holding each other’s gazes intensely. Roxas looks down, feeling uncomfortable with the tension and shuffles his feet nervously.

Finally, Leon sighs and closes his eyes. “Aye, it is.” He murmurs, accepting the end of the discussion and walking towards the table to pick up a sparring sword. He turns back to Cloud once he has it attached to his belt, holding the hilt of the blade. “But just because I am sworn to you, does not mean I will go easy on you.” He replies, a hint of challenging in his tone.

Roxas looks up to Cloud again, seeing a faint smirk tug at his brother’s lips. “Good.” He states, leering at the brunet. “I would have it no other way.” The blond finishes, equally as challenging.

This time, Roxas shares a puzzled look with Sora, seeing the brunet’s eyes widen a little bit. He looks to Roxas and shrugs slightly, watching the two men walk towards the training grounds. They pause when they’re in the middle, turning around to face the middle balcony. Roxas looks upward, seeing his father and Xehanort have arrived, standing over them a floor above. There are other people filtering onto the side balconies, some Roxas recognizes from the castle, and some who must be guests.

Leon and Cloud both bow to the Kings, then once to each other. They take a couple steps back from one another, and then both unsheathe their sparring swords. The next thing Roxas knows they’re leaping at each other, both immediately going in for the offensive approach. Their swords meet in a metallic cling, both men pressing against each other before Cloud jumps back, putting some distance between himself and Leon.

The knight doesn’t hesitate though, lunging forward and raising his sword to attack Cloud again. The Prince lets out a grunt as he brings his sword up to block it again, then blocks another swipe to his side as Leon continues to assault him. Cloud is fast, able to defend each one of the brunet’s strikes quickly, but makes no moves to counter. Roxas isn’t sure if it’s because he wants to take his time with the fight, of if it’s because Leon isn’t giving the older blond a chance to retaliate.

The brunet places both of his hands around the hilt of his sword as he lets out a yell and swings it towards Cloud. Roxas sees the eldest Prince react sharply, using his free hand to hold onto the other side of his blade as he guards the strike, but the force of the blow makes him drop to one knee. Leon pulls his sword back, swinging again and Cloud dodge rolls out of the way, jumping back up to make his first offensive attack.

Leon turns to the blond as he dodges, managing to just barely parry the blonds thrust forward with a quick slash of his sword and swings horizontally at the Prince. Cloud jumps back easily, a small smile forming on his face. Roxas blinks, surprised that his brother is enjoying this.

“I think he’s wanted to spar with Leon for awhile now.” Sora says, practically reading his thoughts.

Roxas glances over to his twin, raising an eyebrow. “Yea? I didn’t realize it was their first time.” He says, glancing over towards the two men again.

Leon had joined the Royal Guard just shy of a year ago, the young man of twenty-two serving in the military up until he was promoted by Ansem directly. Months after he joined the Royal Guard, Cloud’s previous knight had passed away due to illness, leaving him without a personal guard. Leon was the first to volunteer himself to serve as the blond’s knight and Cloud agreed with no protest. He really didn’t need a personal knight as the blond was a well-trained sword fighter, but formality and tradition required that he appoint a knight to have at his side and Leon was a well-suited match for him.

A knowing look comes to Sora’s eyes as he watches Cloud turn his body away from a vertical slash. “Yea. I’ve caught him observing Leon’s training before.” His twin states, a small smile coming to his face. He glances back to Roxas, giving the blond a wink. “But you know Cloud. He would never ask him to spar.”

Roxas feels himself smile and let out a breath of amusement. Sora’s words were filled with nothing but truth; their eldest brother was prideful to say the least. Sure, he was the heir to a prosperous nation and held a great deal of confidence in himself, but when it came to asking personal favours the blond was reluctant to pursue it because of his ego. Cloud had many different teachers ready at all times to spar if he wished too, so going out of his way to ask someone else to probably felt strange to him. Even though Roxas is certain Leon wouldn’t have a problem if the older blond would have just asked him.

In a way, things did end up working out for Cloud though because the opportunity presented itself to him without him having to go up to Leon and ask him personally. Roxas wonders if his older brother had this planned for sometime now, watching Cloud jump strike at the knight. Leon lets out a noise of surprise as he just barely avoids the attack, lunging forward to try and counter quickly. He lands a blow to Cloud’s shoulder, making the blond grunt and stumble back.

“Roxas, don’t you think you should pick your tome now?” Sora asks him, breaking his attention from the fight.

The blond blinks, looking to his twin and feeling the nervousness begin to settle in again. “Right…” He murmurs scratching the back of his head.

“Hey.” Sora says to him seriously. Roxas blinks again, staring at the brunet blankly.

“You’re going to be just fine. Don’t even look at anyone else once we’re out there. It’s just you and me Rox.” Sora says, giving him an encouraging smile.

Roxas doesn’t realize he’s holding his breath until he lets out a deep sigh, nodding. “Don’t go easy on me out there, okay?” He asks, cocking his head to the side playfully.

Sora laughs quietly, the first genuine sign of happiness that Roxas has seen him show all day. “You too.” He murmurs, nudging the blond gently.

Roxas takes another breath and walks towards the table, glancing at the three tomes apprehensively. He can choose from thunder, wind and fire magic, having an affinity to each one of the elements. His father told him that not many people were born with such magical feats, most only ever having an affinity to just one. Sora was the one who was even more rare though, the brunet having an affinity towards light. It is one of the rarest forms of magic, only a handful of people over the centuries having affinities towards it due to its purity. Only those with no evil in their heart are able to wield the element, hence the reason for its rarity.

“Hey, I think you’re wanted over there, Prince.” A voice says from next to him. Roxas jumps, not realizing someone was near him and looks to the man in surprise. His eyes widen when he recognizes it to be the red-haired man from yesterday and tenses up. There’s a few other guests standing around them, staring silently.

Suddenly his throat is tight and all he can manage is a confused noise as he looks to the training grounds, seeing Sora standing in the middle and staring at him with a blatant _get over here_ look. It makes Roxas’ brain go on auto-pilot, turning around to grab a random tome and walk away without any kind of comprehensible response to the man. He walks stiffly to the training platform, mentally berating himself for freezing up the way he did.

He stops in front of Sora, staring at his twin with the most composed look he can muster, which can’t be convincing in the slightest because Sora quirks an eyebrow at him in confusion. There’s no time to talk though, because they cannot keep the Kings waiting. The twins stand side-by-side, bowing to the Kings and then once to each other like Cloud and Leon did previously.

“Wait,” Roxas whispers. “Who won?” He asks Sora.

“Cloud.” Sora mutters, then starts walking to the side of the platform near the balconies. Roxas grits his teeth, wanting to be the one on that side. Now that he’s on the outside of the platform, everyone has a clear view of him and he has a clear view of everyone viewing him. He feels his hands start to get clammy, knowing that Sora did it without even realizing, but it’s not like they can switch places now.

Roxas forces himself to breathe, finally glancing down at the tome he picked and swallowing thickly when he registers that it’s the fire tome. He actually curses to himself quietly this time, clutching the bright red tome tightly to himself and flicking his gaze back to the redhead for a split second. The man is staring at him thoughtfully, and Roxas breaks eye contact, taking a breath and looking towards Sora. He does as the brunet instructed him so, forcing himself to focus just on his twin and tune the rest of the world out.

Sora makes no move to initiate first, giving Roxas a few seconds to compose himself. He inhales deeply before reciting the Ancient Tongue of his first spell with a shaky voice. He raises his right arm across his chest and moves it horizontally in front of him to the right as he speaks, and three fireballs materialize in front of him. He finishes the spell with a slight stutter, thrusting his hand sharply towards the sky and the fireballs launch forward towards Sora.

The brunet reacts quickly, raising his hand in front of him and calling out a spell that shoots out three beams of light out, the magic spiralling towards the fireballs and piercing through them cleanly, causing the flames to dissipate into the air. Sora runs forward, reciting another spell to counter attack. The blond catches two beams of light beginning to form on both sides of his peripherals, rolling forward at the last moment to dodge the beams that shoot towards where he stood, crashing into each other with an almost twinkling noise and fading away.

Roxas leaps forward, reciting another spell and thrusts his arm forward, summoning a stream of flames hurling towards Sora. The brunet crouches down, placing his palm to the stone and chants hastily, producing a long, thin, glowing rectangle on the ground in front of him. As he finishes the spell, he launches himself back to his feet and drives his hand above his head, a wall of light sprouting from the ground and following the movement of his hand. The fire stream crashes into it, sending the flames upward and causing no damage to the barrier.

The blond huffs quietly, letting a string of foreign tongue fall from his mouth and brings his arm to just above his right shoulder and slashes his arm downwards sharply, watching a ring of fire form around Sora. His twin glances around himself nervously, gritting his teeth and holding his clenched fist to his chest, closing his eyes and calling out a spell. The ground below him starts forming a mosaic-like pattern of light and then light shoots out from every angle around the brunet, engulfing the flames. Roxas has to shield his eyes from the harsh glare, lowering his arm when it disappears and seeing Sora chanting again.

He sees a glow begin to form above his head and looks up to see a ball of light growing, preparing to drop on him. He reacts swiftly, raising his arm above him and delivering a spell that shoots three rods of fire through the ball, causing it to erupt in a loud bang.

Roxas stumbles forward, falling onto his knees and cursing at being knocked down by the reaction. He looks up to Sora, hearing him repeat the same spell and rolls forward to avoid the ball of light that comes crashing down to the ground. He growls lightly, casting a spell quickly and watches as a small flame manifests at his feet, and begins travelling towards Sora quickly, leaving trails of fire behind it.

The brunet keeps his eyes on the flame, leaping out of the way as it attempts to reach him and follows his movements. While Sora has his attention away from him, Roxas takes the opportunity to summon a single fireball and hurls it at him. His twin looks up just as the fireball is near him, not having enough time to counter or dodge it and crosses his arms in front of himself to try and block it.

Sora grunts, stepping backward from the attack and kneeling to the ground with his free hand pressed to his chest. Roxas furrows his eyebrows, surprised that such a weak attack caused the brunet to fall to the ground. He opens his mouth to ask his twin if he’s alright, but before he can speak Sora looks up at him with a piercing gaze, his eyes flickering from their sapphire blues into a golden hue.

Roxas takes an instinctive step backward, staring at his twin with concern. “Sora?” He asks carefully.

The brunet doesn’t respond verbally, instead shooting his arm in front of him and discharging three pyramid-like spikes of light that have dark purple wisps running through them. They rush towards him at a speed he’s never seen from Sora before and Roxas jumps to the side to avoid them. He sees them freeze in place after missing him and angle their sharp ends towards him to strike again.

Roxas lets out a yelp of surprise, quickly summoning three fireballs to counter attack the spikes as they come towards him. He launches one, watching it crash into the spike with a thundering boom. There’s just two left now, continuing to attempt to strike him in swift movements. He leaps out of the way of one of the attacks and launches his second fireball, again destroying the spike with a powerful sound. As Roxas looks up to locate the last of the spikes, Sora calls his name.

He can’t resist the instinctual jerk of his head, focusing on his twin. The brunet’s eyes are back to normal and he has a great fear in them, staring at Roxas in horror. “Look out!” He yells, pointing to the opposite side of him.

Just as Roxas locates the last spike it collides with his left shoulder, causing him to fly a few feet backward and land on his side, his tome falling from his grip. He lets out a cry as his head bangs against the stone ground, feeling the world go blurry. He hears people calling his name and yelling in surprise, unable to distinguish any voices. Roxas groans quietly to himself, feeling his head lull side-to-side. The next thing he knows, Cloud is kneeling next to him and resting a hand behind his head.

“Roxas, are you with me?” He asks, worry in his voice.

The younger blond manages a mumbled noise, blinking a few times as he feels himself coming back to earth. He sits up slowly with the help of Cloud, wincing when his brother touches his shoulder. The older man mumbles an apology, withdrawing his hand and staring at Roxas intently.

“Are you alright?” Cloud asks.

Roxas blinks, ignoring his brother when he sees Riku and Aerith crouched over Sora with concern written on their face. Riku is calling out to the brunet who lays unconscious on the ground. Roxas gasps sharply, trying to stand up and run over to his twin, but sways slightly once he’s on his feet and is caught by Cloud before he falls again.

“Hey, hey. Easy now.” The eldest Prince says, helping to steady the shorter blond.

“Sora!” Roxas calls, then looks to Cloud in worry. “What happened to him? What’s going on?” He asks in a panicked rush.

His older brother shakes his head back and forth slightly. “I don’t know Roxas. After you got hit and went down this dark aura appeared over Sora and then he fainted and it...disappeared. I think.” He says, trying to make sense of what just happened.

Roxas feels the world swaying again, and leans his weight onto Cloud. His brother holds him up easily, snapping his fingers to get the younger blond’s attention again.

“Hey, come on. Stay with me.” Cloud murmurs.

Roxas lets out a weak grunt. “Take me over to him.” He pleads, staring at Sora with distress. The eldest Prince says nothing else, guiding Roxas to his twin slowly. The younger blond pretty much falls to his knees when they’re next to him.

“Sora!” Roxas cries. “Hey, Sora come on get up!” He calls.

He sees the slight flutter of the brunet’s eyelashes, and then Sora opens his eyes halfway, blinking a few times and looking towards Roxas.

“Huh? Roxas?” The brunet asks, confused. He looks to the other side of him, seeing Riku and Aerith staring with worry on their faces. “Riku, Aerith?”

Sora looks back to Roxas, rubbing at his forehead. “What happened? My headache got really bad while we were fighting and then I just…blacked out.” He says.

Roxas glances to Riku with an uncertain gaze, then back down to Sora. “I don’t really know.” He says, watching Sora sit up, staring at the various concerned people around them.

“Weird.” His twin says, then looks to Roxas with a small smile. “But hey, I feel great now. My head is completely better.” He muses.

The blond blinks at Sora then brings a hand to stifle his laughter. “You are so strange. You just fainted in battle and all you have to say is “weird”?” He asks.

His twin shrugs. “I don’t know what else to say.” He says, glancing to the others around him sheepishly. “Sorry if I worried you guys. I promise I’m okay though.” Sora finishes.

“We will let Maester Merlin determine that.” Their father interrupts harshly, catching everyone’s attention. The man stands a few feet in front of Sora, his arms folded behind him and a troubled expression on his face. Xehanort stands next to him, his mouth pressed into a thin line and Roxas thinks there’s the slightest presence of excitement in his gaze. He swallows thickly, feeling a pit form in his gut.

“Can you walk my son?” Ansem asks to Sora.

The brunet nods, pushing off the ground and standing. “Yes, Your Grace. I apologize for the disruption.” He says, bowing his head. Roxas tenses his jaw, thinking that only Sora would apologize for fainting.

The King shakes his head, closing his eyes. “It’s alright. I am pleased you do not appear to be harmed.” He says. His father turns to stare at Roxas, continuing. “And you Roxas? You took quite the fall.”

The blond rises shakily, looking down. “I’m okay, Your Grace. A little dizzy, but nothing troubling.” He responds.

His father hums quickly, his gaze still fixed on the blond before turning when he hears someone enter the courtyard.  Merlin approaches the group, walking briskly towards them in his layers of bright blue robes.

“I came as quickly as I could Your Grace.” The Maester says, bowing to both of the Kings.

Ansem nods once at the man. “Thank you, Merlin. Please take Roxas and Sora to your examination room to be looked over. They will recount the details. Riku, escort the two safely.” He says plainly, turning and walking away with no further explanation. The knight nods and Xehanort stares at the group for a moment longer before he trails behind the other King silently.

Roxas furrows his eyebrows at his father’s retreating from, noticing the curtness in his voice as he spoke. His thoughts are interrupted when Riku stands in front of him.

“Can you walk on your own?” The knight asks him.

Roxas rolls his eyes, hating being fussed over especially since there were still so many eyes on him at the moment. “Yes, I can manage that much.” He retorts.

“Come along then,” Merlin states, beginning to walk back inside of the castle. “If you say you’re as fine as you are, this won’t take long.” The Maester chimes, his long robes trailing behind him gently.

Roxas starts walking, feeling his head start to spin again but attempts to keep himself composed to not make even more of a scene in front of everyone watching. As he nears the entrance to the castle, he has to force himself to keep his gaze forward instead of looking at the redhead again, curious as to how he reacted to all of the commotion.


	3. Unrest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely people! I present to you: chapter three. The ball gets rolling in this one :) Please let me know what you think!

Roxas walks into Merlin’s examination room with Sora close at his side, the brunet not entirely convinced that his head injury is nothing to be worried about especially since he’s still a little dizzy. Riku is on his other side as well keeping his distance, but making it known that the knight is ready to catch Roxas if the blond decides to fall to the ground again. He wants to let out a huff and tell them both to stop acting like such mother hens, but bites his tongue and instead sits atop of the stone examination table with Sora next to him.

Merlin is standing with his back to them, organizing his various different herbs and medicines in test tubes. “So, please inform me what has happened.” He asks, turning to face the twins.

Sora looks to Roxas and offers a slight shrug, so the blond chimes in first. “Well, we were sparring together. When one of my attacks hit Sora, he…” The blond pauses, wondering if he should mention seeing Sora’s eyes change. Was it possible he was just seeing things though? And if he brought it up, would they just write it off as something to do with his head injury?

Roxas furrows his eyebrows, deciding it’s not worth it to mention it as he continues. “He attacked me back with this spell I’d never seen before and it knocked me down.” He finishes.

“And after Prince Roxas went down, Prince Sora fainted and an aura surrounded his body before disappearing.” Riku adds.

Merlin looks at the knight with a puzzled expression before turning back to the twins. “And what was this spell?” He asks.

Sora looks down at his hands, his mouth frowning. “I don’t know. I don’t even remember casting it.” He answers quietly.

“I didn’t hear the spell either. I don’t even know if he actually said anything before he cast it.” Roxas muses, bringing a hand to his face.

Merlin hums thoughtfully. “A bizarre situation indeed.” The Maester says, then goes quiet for a moment. “Prince Roxas, could you describe the spell? Was it light-based?”

“I think so. It looked a little different than his normal.” The blond says.

The side of the Maester’s mouth quirks downward. “Different? How so?” He asks.

Roxas purses his lips, trying to think of a way to describe it. “It’s kind of hard to explain, but it looked like there was something added to it. Something that made the magic more…powerful.” The blond finishes, hoping it’s at least some help.

“Very peculiar.” Merlin says, stroking his beard. “I must say I have not heard of such feats. However, this could be because there is not a lot of knowledge surrounding light magic due to its rarity.” He explains. Both the twins nod in unison.

“Let’s have a quick look over you both then.” The Maester says, walking in front of Sora. He checks the teen’s pulse, listens to his breathing and asks him how he’s feeling. After no signs of anything out of the ordinary and Sora’s simple response of “good”, the elder is left stroking his beard in reflection again.

“As it stands now, I do not know what could have caused such an occurrence.” Merlin says, pausing. “But I will continue to look into it. Now, Prince Roxas. I understand you hit your head when you fell. Are there any other injuries you suffered?” He asks.

The blond pauses, his mind focusing on the pain in his left shoulder from Sora’s attack. He knows nothing is broken, so there’s no point in telling him. “No, Maester. Just my head.” He lies, not wanting to trouble the older man any further.

Merlin nods, standing in front of him. “And how is your head feeling?” He asks, studying Roxas.

The blond shrugs his shoulders. “A little sore. The dizziness has pretty much gone away now.” He says.

The older man’s eyes narrow in thought. He holds his pointer finger in front of Roxas’ face. “Follow my finger with your gaze.” He orders. The blond’s eyes follow his finger as he moves it side to side, and then once up and down.

“Do you feel nauseous at all?” Merlin asks, lowering his hand. Roxas shakes his head back and forth gently.

The Master exhales, adjusting his glasses. “Well, it doesn’t appear you have suffered a concussion at the very least, but I’d like to monitor you for a few days to be sure.” He explains, turning around to his table full of various items.

“If you begin to feel light-headed, nauseous or you have any other concerns in that time I’d like you to report back to me immediately.” Merlin continues, his arms moving around as he mixes a few herbs into a glass. He adds some liquid and the mixture lets out a sizzling sound. Roxas looks to Sora apprehensively, wondering what the Maester is making and his twin shrugs slightly in obliviousness.

Merlin turns around, holding a small glass bottle sealed with a cork and passes it to Roxas. “This is a sedative for the pain. Take it as you see fit.”

The blond glances at the concoction, then nods to Merlin. “Thank you, Maester.” He says quietly.

“You are most welcome. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to this afternoon. I would advise you both rest until the party tonight.” Merlin says before exiting the room.

“I guess that’s that, then.” Sora says after a few moments of silence, hopping off of the table. Roxas stares at his twin, still feeling really off about the whole situation as it replays in his mind. He spares a glance at Riku, seeing the knight’s eyes are unfocused in thought. He’s probably still unsure about everything too.

But Roxas swallows, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind and lowers himself as well. “Right.” He murmurs, walking out of the room with Sora at his side. “Well, I think I’m going to take Merlin’s advice and lay down for the rest of the day then.” The blond says.

Sora nods, stretching his arms above him and yawning. “Me too. An afternoon nap sounds great.” He muses, letting out a deep breath.

The blond lets out a breath of amusement, glancing to his twin. “You’d nap everyday if you could.” He taunts, walking into the front hall where some people are standing and chatting amongst themselves. Cloud and Aerith are standing across the room having a conversation with someone Roxas doesn’t recognize, but turn their attention towards him and Sora when they come into view.

Cloud excuses himself swiftly, immediately making his way to the twins with a concerned look on his face. He seems to calm down a little when he approaches them, staring them both and up down warily.

“What did the Maester say?” He asks immediately, cutting to the chase.

Sora places both of his hands behind his head and grins. “We’re both fine! Well, Roxas has a goose egg on his head, but other than that he said we should be alright!” He chirps.

Cloud releases a small breath, his shoulders relaxing. “Good.” He says quietly, looking to Aerith as the brunette approaches.

“You both had us worried back there, but we’re glad you’re okay.” She comments, her gaze gentle.

Sora wraps an arm around Roxas’ middle, pulling the teen close to him. “It takes a little more than some magic to take us out!” He teases. Roxas cracks a smile, giving his twin a light shove.

“Maester Merlin wants us to rest until dinner though.” The blond adds. “So we’re heading back to our rooms until then.”

Aerith folds her hands together in front of herself. “Are you still going to be attending the party tonight?” She asks.

“Of course!” Sora nearly shouts, catching other people’s attention in the hall. Roxas rolls his eyes at his brother’s loudness, even though he should be used to it at this point. “There’s no way I’m missing it!” The brunet says, balling his fists in excitement.

Cloud’s eyes crinkle a bit as he lets out a breath of amusement. “Good to hear. We’ll leave you two then, see you at dinner.” He says, offering his arm to Aerith and walking towards the gardens.

The trio make their way upstairs and into the east manor as Sora chats about the party tonight and how excited he is to dress up. Roxas tunes him out, giving light hums every now and then as they approach their bedrooms. He says a quick goodbye to Sora and Riku, waving as he walks further down the hallway past the brunet’s room.

“I’m gonna come wake you up if you oversleep again!” Sora echoes to him from far away.

Roxas smirks, turning to his brother and giving him an amused look before he enters his room, closing the wooden door behind himself softly. He grabs the concoction from his pocket and stares at the bottle for a moment before popping the cork off and taking a small sip of it. He caps it again and rolls his neck lightly, walking over to his vanity to place the small bottle atop it. The blond then removes his belt and coat half-hazardously, keeping his loose undershirt on and tossing the rest of his clothing somewhere across the floor. He knows the maids would scold him for doing it (Sora probably would too), but doesn’t really care and crawls atop of his bed, sighing when he curls up against his fluffy pillows on his good shoulder and his head begins feeling light. His thoughts become clouded and jumbled as the medicine sends him into a slumber.

* * *

 

He doesn’t dream and truthfully, he thinks it’s only been ten seconds since he shut his eyes before Sora barges into his room, proclaiming that it’s time to get ready for the big dinner and party. Roxas blinks, his head still feeling dazed and numbed out. Sora is chirping away happily, saying that he slept like a baby and is ready to celebrate all night long. Roxas sits up from his bed slowly, trying to wake himself up more but ends up spacing out as he stares at the wall.

“Roxas? Are you still asleep over there?” Sora teases, walking to stand in front of him with his hands on his hips.

The blond tilts his head up at his twin, studying his appearance. Sora is wearing a fitted red jacket with a thick dark blue leather belt tied around his waist. He wears black fitted pants, and matching leather boots. His twin pokes his nose, making him blink and pull his head back.

“Wha-? Oh, um.” Roxas coughs. “I’m awake. The medicine still has me tired, sorry.” He murmurs.

Sora shakes his head. “It’s alright, let’s just get you dressed here. Have you thought about anything you want to wear tonight?” The brunet asks.

Roxas cracks a smile. “Sora, do I ever plan what I wear?” He asks sleepily, leaning his hands behind him on the mattress.

Sora hums in agreeance, walking towards the blond’s closet. “True. But come on, give me something to work with here!” He says, stopping to bend down and pick up the clothes Roxas tossed on the ground earlier. The blond bites his lip to keep from laughing at his brother’s behaviour, laying against the mattress again and staring up at the stone ceiling.

“Here, let’s start with something easy.” Sora calls to him from the closet. “What colour do you want to wear tonight?”

“Blue.” Roxas says without hesitation. He blinks after he says it, his lips still parted slightly. Sora doesn’t say anything at first, then the next thing Roxas knows, his twin is in the middle of the air and diving at his bed towards him.

Roxas lets out a surprised yell and rolls away, wincing when he feels the pain in his shoulder. “What’s your deal?” He asks, furrowing his eyebrows.

The brunet gives him a devilish smile, biting his bottom lip as he lies next to him. “You never want to wear blue.” He says knowingly.

“And?” Roxas asks skeptically.

Sora’s smile doesn’t falter. “Why do you want to wear it tonight?” He asks.

“I don’t know. You told me I looked good in it yesterday.” The blond answers, rolling his eyes.

Sora wags a finger at him. “You’re convincing, but I can tell when my twin is lying.” He says knowingly.

Roxas covers his eyes, groaning lightly. “You said it brings out my eyes.” He mumbles.

Sora lets out noise of realization and then smiles at him, his eyes glinting mischievously. “You want to look nice for someone tonight?” He asks.

“What!?” The blond cries. “That’s ridiculous Sora, _no_.” He grits out, looking the other way.

His twin lets out a quiet giggle, bringing a hand to his mouth. “You don’t want to tell me who it is, huh? Well, that’s alright.” He says, standing back up and snapping his fingers once. “I know just the outfit!” He yells, running out of the room and leaving his door open. Roxas stares at it with an unimpressed expression, shaking his head and groaning softly. If he tells Sora about the red-haired man, he is certain that his twin will do something to get himself involved.

Moments later Sora runs back into the room, panting lightly as he holds up an outfit. It’s a royal blue fitted jacket with gold accents embroidered along the edges of the fabric, along with white pants and a white undershirt.

Roxas raises an eyebrow, sitting back up. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear that outfit.” He comments.

Sora grins at him. “Yea, I’ve had it for sometime now, but I always thought it just didn’t look right on me. I bet it will look great on you though!” He says excitedly, walking over to the bed to lay the outfit neatly on the mattress.

The blond stares at it, feeling himself smile as he runs his hand along the fabric. For some reason, he believes Sora when he says it and begins slipping his undershirt off. He grunts as he lifts his arms over his head, feeling the pain in his shoulder flare up. When his shirt is discarded, he hears a small gasp come from Sora. He looks up to the brunet, seeing his blue eyes wide with shock, his entire demeanor changing.

“Roxas, your shoulder.” Sora says quietly, pointing to it.

The blond looks down at himself, his eyes widening slightly when he sees the large dark bruise blooming nearly across his entire shoulder. His skin is marked with purple and red hues of burst capillaries.

“Is that from…” His twin starts shakily, unable to finish his sentence.

Roxas looks up at his twin sharply then bites his lip, glancing to the side. “Uh…yea.” He mumbles.

Sora opens and closes his mouth, struggling to figure out what to say. “I-I didn’t realize it was that bad.” He stutters, wringing his hands nervously.

“It’s okay Sora. It doesn’t hurt that much and it was just an accident.” The blond says, standing up and walking towards his twin.

The brunet stares at his hands, his face still outlined in worry. “Was it though?” He asks so quietly that Roxas barely hears him.

He furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “Huh? What are you talking about?” Roxas asks, placing his hand on Sora’s arm lightly.

The brunet shakes his head back and forth. “I don’t know, but during our match I kept feeling like there was something trying to…take over me.” He says, his eyes unsure. He looks back up to Roxas, expecting the blond to call him superstitious or crazy.

Instead, Roxas tenses. “Why didn’t you tell the Maester that?” He asks in an irritated tone.

His twin gives him a puzzled look, then frowns. “You didn’t tell him about _that_.” Sora replies, motioning towards his bruise.

Roxas huffs, turning away and running a hand through his hair. “When I attacked you with the fireball, you went down like it actually hurt you. Then you looked up at me and it was like…” He pauses, his throat feeling tight. “It was like your eyes changed colour. Like you weren’t you.” He finishes, still trying to make sense of it all.

Sora doesn’t say anything for a moment, which causes Roxas to turn back to him. His twin’s eyes meet his and the brunet releases a breath, shaking his head. “Maybe we should tell the Maester about all of this.” He suggests

Roxas frowns slightly. “I don’t know Sora. If father finds out about it, you’ll probably be locked away for days to be quarantined and tested.” He murmurs. Roxas knows his father cares for his sons just the way his sons like any one should, but he also knows that the man can consume himself in great paranoia. If he found out that something was trying to possess his son and believed it, he would treat Sora as though he was no more than a lab rat to be dissected and observed. The reason he knows this is because when their mother fell ill five years ago their father did just that. The man became paranoid that someone was trying to poison his wife or even himself and decided to keep her locked away in a room far from his, barely ever visiting her and when he did, he refused to come near her. She passed away after a week due to illness and Roxas didn’t see him shed a tear once, the man still convinced someone was out to get him.

Sora’s eyes become a little fearful as the realization sinks in. “Oh.” He says flatly. “Y-yea, I guess your right.”

The blond’s eyes soften at his brother’s anxiety and he hugs him close. “Don’t stress. You said yourself, you’re feeling completely better right?” He asks, pulling away and looking at his twin. It feels kind of wrong, trying to convince his brother that he’s okay when Roxas himself still feels a pit in his stomach at the thought of everything that happened.

Sora nods slowly and Roxas gives him a small smile. “See? Nothing to be worried about.” He says, then his eyes harden a little bit. “But you can’t tell anyone about this. Not even Riku.” He says sternly.

The brunet looks like he’s about to protest before he closes his mouth and purses his lips. He nods again after thinking to himself and sighs. “Okay, I promise I won’t.”

Roxas pats his brother’s shoulder, turning around to start dressing himself before Sora grabs his uninjured arm.

“Wait,” Sora calls to him. “At least let me heal your shoulder before we go downstairs.” He urges, a pained look coming to his face each time he looks at the large bruise.

Roxas sighs. “Sora, seriously. That’s the least of our worries right now-“

“I hurt you!” His twin cries, interrupting him. The brunet’s eyes are becoming watered, like a wall of glass is coating the surface of them. “And not just a scrape or a cut, I could have broken your shoulder or given you head trauma!” He shouts.

Roxas blinks, taken aback by his brother’s outburst. He opens his mouth to respond, but is cut off by swift knocks upon his door. Sora wipes at his eyes, sniffling slightly as Roxas turns towards the door, asking who it is.

“Dinner is starting in ten minutes.” Riku calls from the other side of the door.

Sora swallows thickly, forcing a smile and calling back to the knight. “We’re almost ready Riku! Just a few more minutes!” He yells back.

“If you’re not out here in five, I’ll come in there and drag you both myself.” The silver-haired man threatens seriously. Sora lets out a quiet chuckle despite the atmosphere, wiping his face again.

“I’ll just have to do it later then. Perhaps after the party?” He asks Roxas quietly.

The blond stares at Sora, wanting to tell him to stop worrying about him and maybe be concerned with himself for a change, but exhales and nods slowly. Sora smiles, clearly relieved at least a little and helps him get dressed, being sure to be mindful of his shoulder. He’s dressed quickly enough and doesn’t have any time to look at his appearance in the mirror before Riku swings the door open with a bothered expression.

The knight is dressed differently tonight, not having to wear his usual armour for once. He stands tall in a dark grey jacket with a black belt around his hips carrying his sheathed blade. He wears matching pants with tall, black leather boots. His shoulder-length silver hair is tied half behind his head with a band and his aquamarine eyes stare at the brothers with an unimpressed expression.

“Why is it such a challenge for the two of you to be on time?” Riku asks half-annoyed, quirking his eyebrow.

Sora turns to the older teen, his eyes lighting up. “Wow, Riku! You look really good!” He compliments, smiling warmly.

The silver-haired teen stares at Sora with a surprised expression before he looks away, embarrassed. “Alright, just get going. Everyone else is probably in the dining hall now.” He says dismissively, turning to walk down the hallway in a flustered state.

The brunet turns to Roxas, giggling quietly. “He always gets so shy whenever I say something nice.” He muses.

Roxas rolls his eyes, straightening out his jacket. “You do too.” He comments, adjusting his belt.

His twin looks at his outfit, smiling and ignoring his comment. “It looks great on you Roxas. Sure to make you stand out!” Sora says, his tone holding a bit of banter to it. Roxas rolls his eyes, opening his mouth to deny his brother’s insinuations before Riku calls their names loudly from down the hall in warning. Sora gives him a wink before grabbing his uninjured arm, running off into the hallway towards the knight.

Riku was right; when they arrive to the north hall the dining room is filled, people chatting loudly and laughing amongst themselves. The knight excuses himself towards his table consisting of the other Royal Guards, while Sora and Roxas make their way towards the head table like yesterday. They bow to the Kings when they approach the table, then take their seats as Aerith greets them quietly.

“How are you both feeling?” She asks, sipping her wine.

“Much better.” Roxas answers quickly, feeling himself suddenly lose interest in speaking to anyone at the moment. Sitting in front of him about twenty feet away is the red-haired man, at a table consisting mainly of guests from Eclipsis. Roxas stares at the side of his face, unintentionally blocking the rest of the world out. He jolts out of his daze when a plate of food is served in front of him, the hot food making his mouth water.

He eats his meal slowly, unable to help the glances he gives the redhead as the man speaks with various people. His eyes light up as someone next to him says something and he lets out a laugh, his lips parting in amusement. Roxas wonders what his laugh sounds like, unable to discern it amongst the many voices echoing in the dining hall.

After dinner is finished and their plates have been cleared away, the guests begin making their way towards the north gardens, where the party will be held for the evening. Roxas watches them leave with a bored expression, resting his hand against his head after the redhead has left the room. Only when Sora nudges him to tell him they are going to the gardens now does he stand up and trail along silently.

The Kings stay behind as everyone else exits the room and Roxas glances back towards them quickly as he’s leaving. The two are speaking with each other quietly and the blond almost rolls his eyes at how much talking they’ve done since seeing each other. Roxas doesn’t think he’d be able to talk to someone that much for that long without wanting to kill them.

When they arrive to the north gardens the sun is beginning to set over the horizon, the many colours of red, yellow and orange blending together in a beautiful gradient of hues. Roxas stares out at the garden from the top of the stairs leading towards it, taking in all of the scenery. The north gardens are similar to the inner ones, but this garden is much larger and leads down to the sandy dunes of the beach. Roxas can hear the small waves rolling onto the shore from where he is.

There’s music playing, people dancing and Sora is already nearly tripping down the stairs to get to the crowd of people, excited to talk to as many as he can. Riku follows behind the Prince calmly, keeping his gaze trained on the energetic brunet. Roxas frowns slightly, deciding that he’ll stay with Cloud and Aerith, not particularly feeling social tonight. There are already too many people around for his liking and he has no desire to make small talk with guests.

So he takes great pleasure in sticking by his brother’s and betrothed’s side, the two preferring to keep mostly to themselves and only speaking to others when approached. Roxas stood strategically so that anytime someone did, they would have to speak to the couple first. Then he would walk a few paces away behind a tall rose bush, wait a minute or so and then circle around to meet up with them again.

The fourth time he does it Cloud gives him a disapproving look. “I realize you don’t enjoy big crowds, but it’s rude of you to not interact with anyone.” He says.

Roxas quirks his mouth downward, trying not to roll his eyes. “I’m interacting with people.” He lies.

Cloud snorts quietly. “Yes, I’m sure you interacted with people while running around the rosebush like a child playing hide-and-seek.”

The younger blond clenches his fist, becoming annoyed with his brother. “Whatever.” He murmurs, turning and walking further out in the gardens with his head low in hopes that no one will approach him.

He walks until the ground starts becoming sandy, then looks up and sees that he is practically on the beach. Roxas looks behind him, seeing the group of people dancing and drinking to the choruses of music, the sounds faint this far out. He sighs then glances back to the ocean and starts walking towards it, his feet carrying him past the tall coconut trees by the shore. The blond pauses as he stands in front of the clear waters, his gaze trailing along the dark sky as he takes in the night scenery around him, the sun having set some time ago.

“Not a fan of parties either, huh?” A voice calls from behind him.

Roxas jumps nearly a mile into the air, his heartbeat skipping and turns around sharply with wide eyes to stare at the person who just scared the life out of him. He goes into a different kind of surprised when he registers that it’s the red-haired man and he’s leaning against one of the coconut trees with his arms crossed and a lazy smirk on his face.

The Prince has to look down for a moment to bring himself back to reality, mentally kicking himself in the shins and urging him to say something back to the man.

“Oh, um. Not really,” is the best he can manage as his eyes meet the man’s again, his voice small. He almost winces after the words leave his mouth, hating how nervous he sounds.

The man’s eyes glint at him, even though it’s dark out and Roxas isn’t entirely sure how that’s possible, then his arms drop to his sides. “Apologies for startling you.” The man says, his voice rich to Roxas’ ears.

The blond shakes his head quickly, looking down again. “It’s fine.” He replies. After a moment of silence Roxas opens his mouth again. “Oh, where are my manners. I don’t think we’ve formally met. I’m Prince-“

“Roxas,” the man finishes with a small smile on his face that makes a pouch of butterflies burst into his stomach, their wings fluttering against his insides. “I know who you are, My Lord.” The man finishes, his voice almost purring.

Roxas lets out a small exhale, composing himself and looking at the man with a feigned calm expression. “Please, there is no need for formalities right now. You may call me by name.” He says, pleased with how relaxed he was able to sound.

The man’s smile grows slightly and he nods. “Okay, Roxas. My name is Axel, I’m one of King Xehanort’s men.” He says simply.

Roxas nods once, turning to look at the ocean. “I saw you earlier today, before my spar.” He says, not sure if he’s able to stare at the man for a long time without forcing himself to look away, otherwise he’d continue to stare until it was uncomfortable.

He hears Axel’s voice carry to him as the man starts walking towards him. “Yes, you did. I apologize for startling you back there as well.” He says with a slight tease in his voice.

“It’s alright. I was nervous as I’m sure you could tell.” He mumbles, feeling his face warm up as he thinks back to earlier in the day. That, plus his untied boots yesterday was not sure to make the greatest impressions. Roxas hopes the man doesn’t realize that was him.

Axel stops next to him, his gaze carrying over the ocean. “I don’t blame you,” he starts, scratching the back of his head. “Can’t say I wouldn’t be feeling the same way.”

The redhead turns to him, quirking an eyebrow as he continues. “Speaking of, you took quite the fall back there. How are you feeling?” He asks, sounding genuinely concerned.

Roxas gulps, feeling his heart rate pick up. “O-oh, right. I’m fine, my head is a little sore and I’ve hurt my shoulder, but nothings broken.” He stammers out.

He sees Axel nod slowly. “That’s good, I suppose. And your brother?”

“He’s fine.” The blond murmurs.

The man lets out a hum in response and a silence falls between them. Roxas isn’t sure if he’s supposed to keep talking or not, but doesn’t really know what to say.

“Not that it’s my business, but won’t you be noticed if you’re away from the party?” Axel asks.

The blond looks up at the redhead and shrugs. “Probably not. I’m not due for any dances tonight thankfully.” He says.

“Dances?” The redhead asks with a puzzled expression on his face.

Roxas nods. “Sometimes at events like these I have to dance with a lot of women. Potential brides and such.” He explains quietly, feeling himself frown at the end.

“Ah, I see.” Axel says. “Being a Prince must keep you busy.” He muses.

Roxas looks back to the sea, his eyes staring longingly at the space where the water meets the sky. He thinks about travelling again, about what it would be like to take a boat and leave the Islands. But then he catches himself, blinking and swallowing. “Yes, but it is what my duty commands.” He rehearses, having heard the line from his father many times.

Axel chuckles quietly, catching the blond’s attention. “Geez, don’t sound so excited about it.” He responds, winking at Roxas.

The blue-eyed teen looks down quickly, shuffling his feet nervously. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I know I live much better then most.” He says.

“But it’s not the way you want to live.” The redhead states inquisitively.

Roxas looks to him again in surprise, staring into Axel’s eyes for a moment before he runs a hand through his hair. “The thought has crossed my mind.” He admits.

Axel’s gaze trails towards the sea and he pauses, closing his eyes. Roxas stares at him silently, watching the gentle winds tousle his red spikes softly. They’re still tied back away from his face and Roxas can’t stop wondering what he looks like with it down naturally.

Roxas snaps his head towards to direction of the party when he starts hearing Sora call his name. His eyes widen and then he starts shuffling backwards.

“I-I apologize for leaving so suddenly, but I should go see what that’s about.” He says quickly, turning away before Axel can respond and hearing the man let out a hearty chuckle at his retreating form.

“It was nice talking to you, Prince Roxas.” The redhead calls to him.

Roxas knows he’s blushing a lot right now, so he chooses to wave back at the man quickly and not say anything back in fear of stammering like a nervous bride. As he comes back towards the garden, Sora finds him.

“Oh there you are!” His twin says to him, smiling brightly. “We’ve been looking for you, haven’t we-“ the brunet pauses, furrowing his eyebrows at Roxas. “Hey, you okay Roxas?” He asks, tilting his head to the side as he continues. “Your face is really red and-“

“I’m _fine_ thank you, Sora.” Roxas interrupts, glaring slightly.

His twin blinks before shrugging, walking in line with him back towards the party. “Were you down by the shores?” He asks.

Roxas nods. “I needed some air.” He replies, which isn’t _entirely_ a lie.

“I don’t blame you, it’s really busy here tonight!” He says as they weave in and out of people. Roxas allows himself to be dragged around by his twin for the rest of the night and isn’t too bothered by it in all honestly. That’s primarily because his brain still feels a little dazed, thinking about the conversation he just had with Axel and trying not to smile every time he does so. Eventually it’s well past midnight and the three teens are making their way back to the east manor, each of them yawning every so often. Sora heals his shoulder as promised and then waves goodnight half-asleep at the blond as he walks back to his room, barely able to undress himself before he crashes onto his mattress and falls into a deep sleep.

* * *

 Late the next morning, Sora and Roxas walk together to the inner gardens to see their guests off along with the rest of the family. Roxas feels a combination of emotions; happiness, because once everyone has left he can finally stop wearing the layers of fancy clothing and not sweat as soon as he walks outside. Relief, because the thought of not having to see Xehanort for another year is comforting, Roxas still not liking to even be around the older man. There’s also sadness, because Axel will also be leaving and he only just met him. Finally, there’s a little bit of regret, because a small part of Roxas wishes he would have stayed on the beach and talked to Axel for the rest of the night.

The goodbye is much quicker than the arrival was and before Roxas has time to try and process Axel leaving, the man is winking at him before he turns around to follow King Xehanort to his carriage. The blond closes his eyes, clenching his fist and breathing quietly to himself.

When he opens his eyes again, everyone is ready to leave and the carriage is already moving towards the gates of the palace, rolling slowly.

And then he’s gone.

Roxas swallows thickly, feeling his mood disintegrate into ashes. He blinks when Sora nudges him.

“Hey, why aren’t you smiling? I thought this was what you would be most excited for!” He says.

The blond forces a small smile. “Uh, yea. The shoulder is still kinda painful right now.” He lies, glancing down at it. It was a little sore at most, but Sora doesn't need to know that.

Sora stares at him for a moment before accepting the answer. “Be sure to rest then! Riku and I are going to the orphanage for the afternoon, so I’ll see you later tonight.” The brunet chirps at him, waving quickly as he walks down the gardens with Riku at his side, the two chatting happily together. It makes Roxas’ chest feel tight in jealousy and he turns away, walking into the castle and determined to read until he passes out on one of his tomes.

Unfortunately, he can’t read more than a couple lines of text before his mind starts drifting back to Axel, the man’s emerald eyes flashing across his mind for the umpteenth time and he slams his spell book closed, groaning and resting his head on the table of the library gently. His head starts pounding dully against his skull and he groans again, standing up and deciding to just go back to sleep. Before he knows it he’s drifting off into a medicine-induced sleep again and then one of the maid’s voices jolts him awake hours later. He looks up sleepily towards the girl, seeing her look of distress and frowning.

“You’ve been summoned to the throne room.” She says quietly, looking away at the end of her sentence.

Roxas stares at her for a moment before standing up. “What for?” He asks, rolling out his stiff shoulder as he sits up.

She still won’t meet his gaze, causing his eyes to narrow slightly as she responds. “I’m afraid you’ll have to let the King inform you, My Lord.” She says before turning around and walking away before he can ask what that means.

He gulps, starting towards the west manor with an anxious feeling in his chest. They never got summoned to the throne room unless something serious happened. He picks up his pace, eventually making it to the large double doors and pushing one open. At the end of the hall stands Cloud and Riku in front of the King, the knight kneeling on the ground with his head low. The room is silent as Roxas approaches, stopping next to Cloud and looking to his father.

“My sons.” Ansem begins. “I’m afraid we have some ill news.” He says, staring at them. Roxas opens his mouth to ask where Sora is and sees Riku’s head bow lower in his peripheral. A ball of anxiety crashes into his chest and he gulps in fear, feeling the same gut reaction he’s been feeling for the past couple of days.

“W-what’s going on?” Roxas asks, turning to Riku. “Where’s Sora!?”

The knight says nothing to him, his silver hair shielding his face. Roxas turns towards his father, his face twisted in anger.

“Roxas, please. Getting upset will achieve nothing.” His father says, staring at him sternly.

The young blond clenches his jaw in silence, waiting for Ansem to continue. “Riku has informed me that during their visit to the orphanage, Sora went missing while playing with some children.” He says calmly.

Roxas stares at his father with a blank expression, then he looks to Riku with a frown. “Missing?” He asks quietly. Then his voice begins to rise. “What do you mean, “missing” Riku!?” He shouts.

“Roxas!” His father bellows, catching the young blond’s attention again. Roxas turns to him with an angry fire in his eyes as his father opens his mouth. “I will not ask you again. Control yourself.” He commands.

Roxas feels his chest tighten like someone is squeezing the air straight out of his lungs and senses Cloud resting a hand on his shoulder. He almost slaps the older blond’s hand away in anger, but bites his lip instead and looks downward.

“It is very likely he is off hiding somewhere with the children. I have men searching every inch of the Islands as we speak. To ease any further doubt, I have ordered all ships to come to a standby until Sora is found.” Ansem says.

Roxas can’t help himself, keeping his voice low. “And what if he isn’t found?” He asks.

His father narrows his eyes at him. “I have little doubt he is off the Islands.” He states.

“That doesn’t answer the question.” The blond retorts, his voice becoming agitated.

Ansem stands up, staring at his son with a rigid expression. “You think someone has kidnapped him?” He asks with a sneer in his tone.

Roxas clenches his fists tightly, meeting his father’s gaze challengingly. “I think it’s more plausible than him off playing with children and not returning for hours.” He says.

“Who would have kidnapped my son?” Ansem asks with a bored expression.

The younger blond swallows thickly, that bad feeling in his stomach returning full force. “Isn’t it a little coincidental that Sora goes missing the same day King Xehanort leaves the Islands?” He asks skeptically.

There’s a long silence in the room and Roxas sees the white, hot anger flash across his father’s eyes. “My son, how dare you utter such words.” He snaps. “Need I remind you that man is our ally? Did you hit your head harder than you thought!?” He yells. Roxas turns his head to the side, clenching and unclenching his jaw.

“That is a bold accusation to make Roxas.” His father continues. “And one based on no logic, therefore useless. King Xehanort’s ship sailed long after Sora was reported missing.” He drawls, his eyes almost daring the young blond to retort with something else. Roxas bites his tongue, wanting to scream obscenities at the man.

The King stares at Roxas for a moment longer before he glances at Cloud. “And you Cloud? What do you think?” The man asks.

Roxas stares at his older brother, waiting for him to back him up, but is surprised to hear the opposite. “Sora has been known to run off with the children. Perhaps Riku just lost them and they’re off exploring the streets. We should wait for the search to end before we make any assumptions.” He states, staring ahead at their father. The younger blond blinks in shock, feeling a haze of betrayal fog his mind as he stares at Cloud.

“And that is what will be done. Until then, you are both to stay in the castle. Dismissed.” He says before turning and walking to the side, off towards the stairs leading up to his quarters.

Roxas feels his anger start to climb again, practically ripping Cloud’s hand from his shoulder and turning to stare at him once their father is out of the room. “Are you kidding me? Sora isn’t some six-year-old who gets lost. He would have known to come back by now, _especially_ if he wasn’t with Riku.” He spits out, glaring at the older blond.

Cloud’s eyes stare at him sternly, much like his father’s did minutes ago. “Father is right Roxas. You cannot make wild assumptions with no proof.” He states.

Roxas shakes his head. “See that’s just wrong.” He says, taking a step back. “I know Sora. _You know Sora_. He wouldn’t be _stupid_ like this! I don’t need any proof to see that!” Roxas yells, his voice getting louder with each sentence.

“I suggest you watch your tone.” Cloud warns quietly, his eyes heated.

Roxas scoffs, turning away and walking down the grand hallway. “Or what? You’ll have me removed? Get real, you’re not the King yet.” He calls back with a snarl, striding down the hallway. He slams the door behind him as loud as he can and stalks towards the east manor. He walks back to his room in silence, feeling his pulse whoosh loudly in his ear. He’s so filled to the brim with anger, he thinks he might just explode and destroy everything in his path. When he walks into his room though, he closes the door behind him quietly and walks towards one of his windows.

He leans against the open sill, bringing a fist to his mouth to try and keep himself somewhat composed. He stares at the waves, but they only make him wonder how far out Sora must be by now. The thought makes him turn his head sharply away from the window with a nauseous feeling in his stomach and he looks back at his bed with a tense expression. A few minutes later he hears a light knock on his door.

Roxas doesn’t trust his voice, slowly walking towards the door and opening it. When he does and sees Riku, his anger flares up again full force when he meets the older teen’s eyes. It’s even worse because as soon as Riku looks at him, the knight’s eyes fill him with an outpour of guilt and grief, the teen emitting such shame. It makes Roxas feel disgusted, his eyes filling with a hot rage in betrayal.

“Why would you even show your face to me right now?” He bites out, his lips curling in a sneer.

Riku closes his eyes, shaking his head slightly. “Roxas, please-“ he starts.

“I will not hear it.” The blond interrupts bitterly, holding his hand up and looking away. “I don’t want your meaningless apologies.”

Riku shakes his head. “If I could just explain-“

“Explain what?” The blond says to him with a frown on his face. “Explain that you let my brother go missing into the hands of gods knows who? That you broke your vow to keep us both safe?” He asks, his eyes turning stone cold towards the silver-haired teen.

The knight takes another step towards him. “I believe you.” He says quietly, his eyes watering. “I think someone’s kidnapped him.”

Roxas looks at the silver-haired teen sharply, searching his gaze for any doubt and biting his lip when he sees none. “Why?” He asks, not feeling fully convinced and looking away.

“It’s like you said,” Riku starts, looking at the ground. “Even if he did go run off with the children, he would have come found me. He never leaves me for more than a few minutes at a time.” He explains.

Roxas feels his anger start to whittle slowly, a presence of sadness beginning to fill its place as the knight continues. “I want to believe that he’s here, I really do. But I don’t. I just have this instinctual feeling that someone’s taken him and he’s scared.” He finishes weakly.

The end of his sentence makes Roxas have to turn around, feeling his chest constrict and his eyes begin to water. “He is. I know he is.” He says weakly, staring out the window.

He hears the sound of his door closing behind him and turns around to see Riku walking towards him, a determined look behind his grieving eyes. “Then let’s go find him.” He says quietly, clearly not wanting to be overheard.

Roxas stares at him with a look of bewilderment, waiting for the silver-haired teen to smirk and say he’s kidding, but he stares at Roxas with a sure expression and the blond furrows his eyebrows.

“What?” He asks, just to be sure he heard the knight correctly.

Riku’s gaze doesn’t falter. “I’m serious Roxas. Every minute we stand around doing nothing is another minute he could be in danger. Or worse.” He murmurs, eyes going dark for a moment.

Roxas swallows thickly, nodding once. “Where are we going to go?”

“You really believe it’s Xehanort?” Riku asks. And when Roxas nods silently, the silver-haired knight continues. “Then we go to Eclipsis.” He states.

The blond glances to the side. “But how are we going to get there?” He asks, still unconvinced.

“I’ll go down to the harbour to find out if anyone has seen anything and I’ll bribe someone into getting us a boat. In the meantime, you need to gather as many things as possible. Food, water, clothes, everything.” Riku explains.

The blond nods in a hurry. “Right. Okay, right.” He starts. “When are we going to leave?” He asks, beginning to feel the adrenaline kick in.

“The best time would be after midnight when the shift change begins. But the gates will be closed for the night.” Riku muses.

“We can use the maid’s exit. They have a path that leads out of the castle, but it’s a tight space and there’s not many places to hide if someone comes by.” Roxas states.

The knight stares at the ground before shaking his head. “It will have to do. It’s our best shot.” He says, then walks towards the blond’s window and stares out at the sky. “We’ve got about four hours left of daylight. Use that time to gather everything and then try to get some rest. I’ll come get you when it’s time.” Riku says seriously.

Roxas stares at the knight with a nervous but willing look, nodding. This was something he could never see himself doing in a million years. Not only was he disobeying his father’s orders, he was threatening the balance of unity between two nations on his own accord. To most, you might even call him an idiot, or the stupidest person in the world for agreeing to do such a thing. If he’s honest though, all he knows is that whoever decided to commit such an act against his family like this would come to regret it soon enough. He would do anything for Sora, even if it meant risking his life to do so.

“Alright, let’s do this.” Roxas declares.

 


	4. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and thank you so much to everyone showing this story lots of love. You guys rock ♡ (And now we're at the home stretch for KHIII!)

As soon as Riku walks out of his room to find them a ship, Roxas stalks towards his closet and starts gathering clothing, throwing them into a pile behind him in a rush. His mind is running a million miles a minute, the thoughts of everything that has happened and what might happen now plaguing his mind into a deep concentration. He feels so many different things right now, it makes his brain begin to space out as he carelessly throws clothes behind him. A part of him still can’t believe that he agreed to go through with this, but at the same time he’s not about to change his mind. Roxas doesn’t realize that he’s spaced out until he turns around to observe what he’s picked out and frowns at the large pile of random clothes. There’s no way he can take this much with him.

He kneels down to the pile, picking out a few simple outfits and two plain hooded robes. He makes sure to grab clothes that are big on him so they fit Riku well, then gathers them into a pile on his bed. He pauses, closing his eyes and taking a few breaths to keep himself grounded. He can’t let himself linger for too long though, because he starts to worry about Sora again and holds a hand to his chest. A moment later he turns to walk out of his room towards the dining hall before he gets upset.

When he arrives, there are a few servants walking around, setting up dinner and bringing food out. One of the maids sees him and offers a sweet smile, obviously unaware of what has happened. It makes him clench his jaw for a moment, trying to hold back the anxiety in his chest.

“Ah, Prince Roxas it’s good to see you. I’m afraid dinner will not be ready for another half-hour.” She says to him.

Roxas swallows thickly, trying his best to keep his cool. “Thank you, but I’m still feeling rather poorly from yesterday.” He explains quickly. “I just came to ask if I could have some food brought to my room.”

The maid gives him a look of concern before nodding. “Of course dear, I’ll go prepare you a plate and have it delivered. Is there anything in particular you’d like?” She asks, placing silverware along the table.

Roxas holds up his fingers as he begins to list foods that would be good for their travel. “If we have dried meat, I’d like as much as possible. Lots of fruits and nuts too. Oh, and a few pitchers of water please.” He says.

The maid gives him a confused look and he thinks fast, rubbing his hand behind his neck. “I know it’s a lot, I’ve barely eaten at all today though.” He explains, giving her a small smile.

She believes him immediately, nodding and smiling back. “Of course, Your Grace. I’ll start on it now.” She says, turning around and walking to the kitchen. He calls out a thank-you to her and when no one else is in the room, he walks to the table and grabs two baskets of bread.

The blond moves swiftly, exiting the dining room and glancing in the hallway to make sure no one is coming. When he sees that the coast is clear, he practically sprints down it towards his room, being mindful not to drop the bread and enters his room again. He places the baskets on his vanity and walks into his closet to grab a few bags. He starts folding up the clothes he picked out earlier tightly, placing them in one of the bags. Then he wraps the loaves of bread in an old shirt, placing them in another. By the time he has them packed, a light knocking at his door startles him and he pushes the bags under his bed quickly and hides the bread baskets from his vanity before answering it.

It’s the maid he spoke with earlier, holding a plate stacked with dried meats in one hand and another with a few mangos, bananas, paopu and nuts in her other. Behind her is another maid, carrying two large pitchers of water.

“Is this going to be enough Your Grace?” The maid holding the food asks.

Roxas nods hastily. “Yes, thank you both very much. Please set everything along my vanity.” He requests, watching to two enter immediately and set his food and drink down. They excuse themselves politely and exit shortly after, leaving Roxas to be still for a moment until he knows they’re far down the hallway and then sets to packing up the food. He gathers everything carefully, wrapping all of the food in old garments that he has no use for. This way they can just wash them after and use the clothing as needed. He finds a leather flask to put some of the water into, but frowns when he can’t find another one. He knows Sora has one somewhere in his room-

Roxas freezes on his knees in his closet, his hands still in the pile of random objects he was just sorting through. His jaw tenses and a raw pain in his chest starts blooming at an alarming speed, but he feels his body stand up on its own and walk out of his room towards Sora’s. The door is unlocked when he tries it and he has to look to the ground at first when it opens. He moves quickly, walking towards Sora’s similar closet and finding the flask, exiting the room quickly and attempting to keep his breathing steady.

His hands shake when he’s back in his room, transferring the water into the flask and he bites his lip hard to concentrate. After the cap is popped on, he puts the water in one of the bags and then sits on the ground, leaning against the wall for a moment to try and calm himself down. He closes his eyes and takes deep breaths, feeling his heart pound against his chest in steady thumps. Roxas shakes his head and stands up after a few minutes, laying on his bed and looking across his window. The sun is far west in the sky and it would still be a few hours before Riku would come get him. The knight instructed him to try and get some sleep before they leave, but Roxas doesn’t think he could even if he drank the rest of the concoction leftover from Maester Merlin for his head.

The blond sits up, deciding he should bring that along with him and then pauses once he’s packed it. He narrows his eyes in thought; he should bring along medicine in case they get sick, or if someone attacks them. Then his eyes widen in another realization; he would need to bring his tomes as well. There was no way he was going to do this without equipping himself for anything.

He plans out where he’s going to have to go to get everything in his head and piles up the dishes on his vanity. He’ll clean those up later, if they’re not already taken away by the time he gets back. The blond frowns at the dishes, deciding he doesn’t want to take the chance of someone finding his stuff, so he grabs the key to his bedroom resting by the door and locks it behind him, placing the key in one of his pockets.

There’s a few more guards than normal walking around the castle, something Roxas isn’t very surprised about considering his father’s paranoia, but no one makes an attempt to speak to him as he passes by which he is very thankful for. Eventually he is down the hallway of Maester Merlin’s examination room, peering inside to see if the man himself is there. The blond lets out a sigh of relief when he sees the room is empty, walking inside and immediately trying to figure out what he could bring along.

His eyes scan over the main table filled with various test tubes, some tall and skinny, others short and fat, and one that has many winding circles. Some are labelled with terms Roxas doesn’t understand and others are blank with various ingredients he doesn’t recognize. He sighs, deciding he isn’t knowledgeable enough to make sense of any of it. So he looks to the cabinet next to the table and opens it quietly, seeing at least a hundred different bottles of various liquids. He squints his eyes as he reads the labels of them, recognizing some, but they are for random things like being too tired, or having dry skin.

He freezes when he hears footsteps coming down the hallway, the clicking of someone’s shoes coming closer. Roxas grits his teeth and turns back towards the medicine cabinet sharply, quickly scanning over various bottles to find something, and something _quick_. He lets out a small victorious noise when he sees a few bottles labelled ‘potion’. He stuffs them into his pockets and sneaks another one labelled ‘elixir’. He closes the cabinet quickly and leaps on top of the examination table, sitting and pretending to stare at something when Merlin enters the room.

“Oh, Prince Roxas. I wasn’t expecting you.” The Maester says with a concerned edge. “Is everything alright?”

Roxas blinks, opening his mouth and pausing for a moment before he speaks. “I…was just wanting to stop by to tell you that my head is feeling much better.” He explains quietly, meeting the older man’s eyes and holding his breath.

Merlin stares at him for a moment with a blank expression before he turns to his various test tubes. “I see. Well, I am pleased to hear that. If that’s all, then I should be getting back to work.” He says, picking up a test tube and mixing it with something else, his attention clearly not on the blond anymore.

Roxas lets out a slow breath, lowering himself from the table gently and walks towards the door. Just as he passes the doorway, the Maester calls to him. The blond flinches, pausing and looking back sharply to meet the older man’s eyes. Oh Gods, he knows something is up.

“I am sorry to hear about Sora. I hope that he makes a safe return as soon as possible.” The man says quietly.

Roxas is silent for a moment before he catches himself, nodding and lowering his eyes. “Thank you, Maester. I do too.” He replies, then turns and walks away once the man looks back down at his work. Roxas takes deep breaths as he walks away, pushing his nails into the skin of his palms to distract himself.  He makes his way to the armoury to gather tomes and when he's finally arrived to it, a single guard stands next to the doorway of the room. He nods once to Roxas when the blond walks through.

“Doing some late-night training, You Grace?” The guard asks, standing in the doorway and staring at the blond.

Roxas forces a tight smile, nodding. “Yes, I didn’t have time to practice earlier in the day.” He says, walking further into the armoury towards the tomes. He pauses in front of the shelf, readying the spines of the rows of books to figure out what he wants to bring.

“That is dedication if I’ve ever seen it.” The man muses, still standing there. Roxas thinks the guard is trying to speak with him because he’s bored, but the blond really doesn’t want to talk to him. Still, he has to keep up appearances, not letting anything out of the ordinary show. He turns to the man, offering a small smile and then resumes scanning the tomes when the guard says nothing else. He sees a thunder tome he likes and grabs it, placing it in his left arm. Then he finds a powerful fire tome and pulls it out as well.

“Do you plan on sparring with anyone tonight?” The guard asks, interrupting his train of thought. Roxas closes his eyes, taking a breath and turning to the man again.

He shakes his head. “No, I prefer training on my own.” He offers quietly. The guard seems to be content with the answer, nodding and walking back outside of the armoury to stand guard again. Roxas relaxes the tension in his shoulders, shaking his head and grabbing a third tome, one of wind.

With the three spell books curled in his arm he starts walking towards the exit of the room, but pauses when he sees a large dagger amongst other knives and swords resting on one of the various tables. He already carries a small dagger with him on his belt most of the time, but this one is much larger and more powerful-looking. Having another nice one like this wouldn’t hurt, he thinks to himself. Roxas looks to the doorway again quickly, double checking the guard isn’t coming back to talk to him at all and then grabs the sheathed dagger swiftly, placing it on top of the stack of tomes and pulling them close to his chest so it isn’t visible.

He calls out a quick goodbye to the guard as he leaves, not pausing to listen or turn around after his response, even if it is rude. He’s too anxious as this point, hoping the guard doesn’t go back inside and sees what he’s taken otherwise the blond might have to answer some questions. He scurries back to the east manor, noticing the the sun has long set. Roxas feels his nerves start to relieve when he is close to his room. He’s almost there, then he can finish packing everything and just relax until Riku comes to get him. That is, if his heart rate will ever go down.

Just as his key is in the lock of the door, he hears Cloud call his name from down the hallway. Roxas curses quietly, opening the door. He goes inside quickly, dropping his tomes on the bed and grabbing the dagger, throwing it under his bed hastily and turning to the door just as Cloud walks in.

The older blond stares at him skeptically, already noticing his anxious demeanor and then glances at the tomes on his bed. “What are you doing with those?” He asks, nodding at them.

Roxas narrows his eyes at his brother, feeling anger begin to mix in with his racing heart. “I’m reading them. Not that it’s any of your business.” He mutters, still bitter with the older blond.

Cloud’s eyes become unimpressed. “You’re upset. I get that-“

“You don’t Cloud,” Roxas interrupts. “Just leave. I don’t want to talk to you.” He says, looking away.

“No. You need to stop acting like a child.” His brother says, crossing his arms.

Roxas turns around, intent on pretending like Cloud isn’t even there and ignoring him until he leaves, but as he turns one of the potion bottles falls from his pocket and lands on his rug lightly. The younger blond’s eyes widen as he sees it, bending down quickly to pick it up and stuff it back into his pocket. The glass clinks against the other bottles loudly and Roxas winces, cursing mentally.

“What was that?” His brother asks, his voice stern.

“Nothing.” Roxas says, not meeting the older blond’s eyes.

Cloud walks in front of him, leering at the shorter blond. “Roxas. What is going on.” He says as if it’s a statement, not a question.

Roxas swallows thickly, unsure of what to do. If he tells Cloud the truth, there’s no way he would let Roxas leave the castle. He would get angry and tell their father, ultimately leading to Roxas being locked away in his room for the rest of his days and Riku would at the very least be dishonourably discharged from the Royal Guard. And that was if his father didn’t try him for attempted treason.

When the younger blond doesn’t respond after a few moments, Cloud reaches into his pocket quickly and removes a couple bottles. He reads the labels and then frowns, glancing at Roxas who is aware that he looks visibly panicked at this point, not being very good at keeping his poker face when caught.

“Explain.” His brother commands.

The younger blond opens his mouth to try and lie, but pauses and closes his eyes when he can’t think of anything that wouldn’t lead to more interrogation. He exhales, apologizing to Riku in his head. “I’m…going to find Sora.” He says weakly, looking up at Cloud.

The older blond’s eyes stare into his sharply, searching for any kind of joking. “Father ordered us to stay in the castle.” He says, dropping the bottles onto his bed.

Roxas grits his teeth, feeling like he’s talking to a younger version of his father. “I know that.” The blond bites out, turning to his bed and picking up the potion bottles again. Cloud’s eyes follow him movements, but he doesn’t make a move to stop Roxas.

“You don’t know where he is.” His older brother says simply.

“I know he’s not on this island.” Roxas retorts quietly, but confidently.

Cloud’s eyes become angrier with him. “You can’t leave the island.” He bites out.

The young blond clenches his fist. “Stop telling me what I can and can’t do. You’re not the boss of me.” He says, feeling himself getting even more heated.

Cloud opens his mouth to retort, but Roxas doesn’t let him. “Look, I don’t care if doing this gets me in trouble, or hurt, or _killed_. Sora is my brother and I refuse to let him suffer at the hands of someone, just because you don’t care about him like I do-”

“This isn’t about whether I care about him or not Roxas!” His brother yells at him, grabbing his shoulders. “Are you listening to yourself right now? You’re talking about trespassing into another nation to try and do what? Sneak into their kingdom and rescue Sora?” He asks, his voice getting fiercer. Roxas stares into his brother’s eyes, clenching his jaw and feeling his heart race the older Prince continues. “We’re not talking about stealing medicine from the Maester Roxas, we’re talking about you committing _treason_. You’d tarnish our entire family name, break the peace between our nations and potentially start a war. _And you don’t even know if he’s been kidnapped._ ” He snarls out.

Roxas breathes shallowly, not backing down from his brother’s gaze. He doesn’t have much to say in response to that, because every word his brother spoke just now is truth.

“Actually,” A voice calls out from the door to Roxas’ bedroom. “We do.”

Roxas and Cloud both look to the voice, seeing Riku standing in the doorway with a serious expression on his face. The knight is dressed in dark armour with his sword sheathed, holding a thick piece of rope in his hand tightly that trails behind him outside of the door.

“Riku?” Cloud asks, lowering his hands from the younger blond’s shoulder. “What is this meaning of this-“

“Shut up Cloud!” Roxas barks out, then turns to Riku. “What do you mean, ‘we do’? And what are you holding on to?” He asks the knight in a rush, furrowing his eyebrows at the rope.

Riku says nothing, pulling the rope taut in front of him and Roxas sees a cloaked figure stumble in the doorway, their hands bound in front of them by the rope held by the knight. The person falls to their knees when Riku shoves them roughly, landing with a thud. The blond flinches at the knight’s aggressive behaviour, but stares curiously at the person. Riku reaches forward, ripping the hood from the person and revealing a familiar head of red spikes and pair of emerald green eyes.

At first, Roxas stares with a shocked expression, not saying anything as he processes that Axel is on the ground in front of him. The man has a bruised cheek and a split lip, but he doesn’t seem to be too concerned with it, staring at the two Princes dully.

“This man was one of Xehanort’s.” Riku says, glaring at the back of the man’s head. Roxas almost says he knows who he is, but keeps his mouth shut.

“You know, I really wasn’t though. Just a man for hire.” The redhead drawls.

Roxas purses his lips, feeling his chest constrict in betrayal as he continues to stare at the man. As he glances longer, he feels an anger build up inside of him. Axel can clearly tell he’s getting upset because the redhead gives him a slight smirk which causes Roxas to snap, lunging forward and striking the man in the face. The redhead groans as he’s hit, keeping his head low and wincing.

“My oh my Prince Roxas, you have quite the right hook.” Axel comments, moving his jaw around experimentally and wincing at the pain. Roxas is stunned by his demeanor, then blinks and gets ready to hit him twice as hard this time but feels Cloud’s hand on his shoulder. His brother pushes him gently out of the way before his kneeling down to grab Axel’s collar, pulling the man up towards him and gritting his teeth.

“What have you done with my brother?” Cloud nearly whispers, his eyes burning into Axel’s with a panicked rage. Roxas watches with a confused expression, not expecting his brother’s attitude to change so quickly, or react in such a way.

“ _I_ didn’t do anything with your brother.” Axel responds lazily, not threatened in the slightest by Cloud. He doubles over when Cloud punches him swiftly in the stomach, wheezing slightly.

“Enough of the games. Explain immediately before I have your head removed.” The Prince threatens lowly. Roxas stares at his brother with a shocked look, not sure if he’s serious or not. He’s never seen Cloud like this before.

Axel just grins though, rolling his eyes. “Come on, you don’t expect me to believe that, do you? I’m the only source of information you have to his whereabouts.” He states. The redhead turns his head around, glancing at the knight. “Ah, what was it…Reeko? Mind telling them? My mouth kinda hurts right now.” He teases, glancing at Roxas. The blond has to take deep breaths to restrain himself, wanting to wipe the smug look off of his face with his fist again. Cloud drops the man, stepping back and giving the redhead a piercing glare.

Riku stares at the back of Axel's head in disgust before addressing the Princes. “I found him on my way back from the harbour. He was trying to find a way out too.” He explains. Roxas sees Cloud's gaze turn to him in his peripheral, and the younger blond forces himself not to meet his eyes.

Axel scoffs. “Yea and I’m a little annoyed at how quickly you were able to find one. I’ve been looking for hours, but that stupid ship lock-down has made it impossible.” He comments. Riku kicks him sharply in the side, earning a painful gasp followed by silence. The knight opens his mouth to continue.

“Apparently the kidnapping was a last-minute order from Xehanort. There was a second ship that was set to sail after King Xehanort’s and a group of men left behind to kidnap Sora, then follow them back to Eclipsis. He was left behind.” Riku says, his tone sounding disbelieving at the last sentence.

“I was.” Axel moans. “Those bastards just didn’t want to pay me for my work.” He grumbles.

Roxas steps forward, glaring down at the redhead. “And what exactly _was_ your work?” He asks sternly.

Axel’s eyes meet his and then they glint ever so slightly. “I didn’t take your brother. That was all Xemnas.” He says.

Roxas kneels down to Axel’s eye level, giving him a serious look. “You didn’t answer my question.” He says lowly.

The redhead pauses for a moment, holding Roxas’ gaze before he exhales and rolls his eyes. “For this mission? I was to stand in as a knight in the Kings army for the visit.” He answers.

“Why would the King hire a mercenary to act as if he was apart of his army?” Cloud demands, not buying it.

Axel simply lets out a small chuckle. “You obviously know nothing about Eclipsis if you have to ask that.” He says.

Roxas opens his mouth to ask the redhead to explain further, but Riku cuts in first. “I’m afraid we don’t have a lot of time to talk. I was lucky enough to get him in without being noticed, but the shift change will be happening any minute now. Is everything ready?” The knight asks, looking at Roxas.

The young blond pauses, nodding and standing up. “He’s coming with us?” He asks.

Riku nods and Roxas lets out a hum in response, pondering this. It would make sense to have someone who is native to the land along with them and Axel seems somewhat compliant, even if Roxas wants to maim him every time he looks at him now.

But then Roxas looks to Cloud awkwardly, recalling that just a short while ago his brother was not on board with this plan in the slightest. The younger blond tries to gauge his reaction to everything, Cloud clearly not expecting any of this to unfold. The eldest Prince eyes him warily, watching Roxas pull the two bags from under his bed. He manages to sneak the dagger in one of the bags quickly without anyone seeing and then packs his tomes and the medicine.

Cloud stares at the bags and then at Roxas again, his face unreadable. Roxas expects him to reprimand him further, maybe even threaten to summon their father, but the older blond nods at him once. “This isn’t going to be like training Roxas. This is real. This could mean life and death.” He warns quietly.

Roxas’ expression softens and his lips part slightly in surprise, not expecting that kind of a response. “I know. I have to get him back though.” He says, lowering his eyes. Cloud walks up to him, lifting his hand and placing a pouch of gold coins in his palm.

“This is all I have on me, use it wisely. I’d give you more, but you need to get moving.” His brother says softly, offering him a small smile.

Roxas bites his bottom lip, staring at Cloud for a second before hugging him tight. His brother wraps his arms around him and Roxas pulls away after a few seconds to rub at his eyes hastily. The young blond turns around to glare when Axel starts cooing about their brotherly love.

“I pray you can survive that.” The eldest Prince says, staring at the redhead with a scornful expression.

Axel flashes them a smirk despite his bruised face. “We’ll just have to wait and see.” The redhead taunts.

Cloud ignores the redhead, turning his attention to Riku. "Keep Roxas safe. And find Sora. If you do both of these things successfully, you will not be discharged for breaking your vow." He says.

Riku bows his head. "Thank you, Prince Cloud. I will not let you down." he says before pulling Axel up swiftly and giving him a stern look. He walks to Roxas’ bed, picking up the bags and looping them both around them man’s shoulders. “At least we’ll make good use of you.” The knight says, pulling Axel’s hood up again to hide his vibrant hair and drags him forward out of the room.

Roxas turns to Cloud one more time, giving him a small smile. “I’ll bring Sora back. I promise.” He says.

His brother closes his eyes, smiling and then looks at Roxas. “I know you will. Until then, I’ll deal with father.” He says. Roxas’ expression softens and then he thanks his brother quietly. The two exit the room quickly, but Roxas pauses when he walks by Sora’s door.

“Wait!” He calls out. Everyone stops and looks to him, then he blinks. “I, uh. Just need a second.” The blond says, running into Sora’s room. He pauses in the middle of it, looking around him and clenching his fists tight. He walks over to a small box on his twin’s vanity, opening it and seeing Sora’s favourite crown necklace. He grabs the silver chain, holding the pendent to his chest before pulling it over his head and tucking it underneath his clothes. He needs to have something to remind him of Sora and this was just about the best thing he could keep with him during his travel.

He runs out of the room quickly, catching up to Riku, Axel and Cloud. The knight is peering through the doors to the front hall, pursing his lips. “We're too late. The night guards are on post.” Riku says quietly, frowning.

“I can take care of that.” Cloud says. When they get to the doors, he pauses, turning to them. “I’ll have them cleared out in about a minute. Move quickly.” He says, resting a hand on Roxas’ shoulders for a moment before he opens the doors. Roxas watches him call to the guards loudly, ordering them to gather in the north hall at once before the doors close and the three are left standing in silence, hoping no one stumbles across them waiting.

“Kind of an uptight guy, if you ask me.” Axel whispers, earning a rough smack from Roxas, telling him to shut up harshly. After a minute or so Roxas cracks the door open, seeing no one in the front hall and opens it further, telling the two to follow.

They run down the large staircase quickly, getting to the bottom and running towards the maid’s exit. Roxas thinks back to a couple days ago when him and Sora were running like this in an excited hurry to get to the arrival of King Xehanort. It was cruel how quickly things flipped upside down in such a short amount of time. He grits his teeth, pushing the thought away and enters the small door quickly. The narrow hallway is dimly lit, but Roxas doesn’t see anyone down it and starts walking quietly.

He pauses at the end of the hallway, peering out of the small slit of the wooden door and not seeing any guards standing directly outside. The blond opens the door slowly, wincing when it creaks a little. He moves quickly regardless, closing the door once Axel and Riku are out and they begin running out of the laundry yard. They come to another portion of the castle gardens, a small area with green hedges and a few rosebushes. At the far end of it is the maid’s exit, a small wooden door that leads to the streets of Destiny Islands. The exit is guarded by two men, chatting with each other quietly in front of the small wooden door.

The three pause, hiding behind some hedges and Roxas speaks first. “What are we going to do?” He whispers, eyes uncertain.

“I can distract them, then I’ll follow you guys out after. I’ll say I’m doing a solo search for Sora.” The knight responds quietly.

“How brave.” Axel chimes in, rolling his eyes. The other two shoot him warning glances and Riku passes the rope holding Axel bound to Roxas. The knight grabs the front of Axel’s jacket tightly, pulling him close.

“Try anything and you will regret it, you sell-sword vermin.” Riku hisses at him before standing up. He begins walking towards the guards and calls to them sharply, disciplining their idle chatter.

Roxas looks at the rope in his hands then at Axel, seeing the redhead stare back at him with an unfazed expression. “He’s serious.” The blond starts, but not in a threatening tone. “If you do something to get us caught, my father will have you killed.” He whispers, glancing at Riku. He’s not really sure why he’s telling Axel that, because part of him wants the man dead.

Axel seems to think this way too. “And you won’t have me killed at some point, when I become useless?” He asks.

Roxas pauses, staring at the redhead before he hears footsteps coming their way. He pushes Axel towards a rose bush, pulling him down so they can hide behind it. Riku walks towards the castle with the men behind them, talking quietly. The blond takes it as the opportunity and pulls Axel’s along, running quietly out of the small door and down the pathway towards the island streets. Roxas pauses around a corner, panting lightly and waiting for Riku.

“No. I won’t.” The blond eventually says to him, standing with his back to the man.

Axel lets out a doubtful hum.

“I’m serious.” Roxas insists.

“You can’t even face me when you say that.” The redhead states.

The blond tenses his jaw, not saying anything else and waiting for Riku. The knight meets up with them shortly, and begins leading them towards the beach, moving carefully to avoid any guards.

“We’re not going to the harbour.” Riku says quietly. “We’re going to take a rowboat to the small island and meet up with our captain there.” He says.

“Why?” Roxas asks.

Riku shakes his head. “Too many guards patrolling around at night for us to take a larger boat without being noticed. This way, we’re being extra careful not to be seen.” He explains. Roxas nods silently, trailing along with Riku and still holding onto Axel’s rope. He gulps and decides to just continue holding it for now unless Riku asks for it back. Thankfully the redhead is silent, not resisting or annoying them in any way.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t stay like that for too long because when they arrive to a solitary area of the beach and find a single rowboat pushed up onto the shore, the redhead lets out a groan. “You’re going to row that dingy thing in the dark?” He asks skeptically, rolling his eyes. “We’ll be dead before we even get to that other island.” The redhead mutters, glancing out at the night fog across the waters.

“Don’t you worry about me.” The knight calls back condescendingly, walking to the front of the boat. “I’ll get us there safe and sound.” He says.

Roxas walks towards the boat and Axel follows with a grumble behind him, clearly not pleased with the situation. He instructs Axel to get in and the man does as he’s told, sitting on one of the small benches. Roxas follows him in quickly and looks up at Riku, seeing the knight start pushing the boat into the water. When the boat is in the water and floating, he lowers himself into it easily and grabs the two oars to row the boat steadily.

“I don’t even see any other islands.” Axel says after a couple minutes of silence, staring around them at the fog. “Are you sure you know where your going?” He asks doubtfully.

“Just keep your mouth shut.” Riku responds as he works. Roxas says nothing, his eyes fixed on the dark waters with a somber expression on his face. After some time, an island comes into view and Axel lets out a sigh of relief, clearly seriously nervous that Riku had already gotten them lost. There’s a large ship waiting close by the dock for them, its sails down and floating gently in the calm waters.

A man peers over at them as Riku stands up to tie the boat down to the dock. “Riku, that you?” He calls gruffly.

“Yea, Cid. It’s me.” The knight yells back. He secures the boat and climbs onto the dock, looking up at the man. “Brought some extra weight.” He says, nodding at Axel.

“Hmph.” Cid says, balling his fists against his hips. “Who is he? Looks like a drunken thug.” He comments.

Roxas cracks the slightest of smirks as he steps out of the boat, especially when Axel scoffs quietly behind him.

“He’s no one. Just a criminal informant.” Riku comments, sparing the redhead an unimpressed glance. “Are we ready to leave?” He asks the older man.

Cid brings his thumb to his face quickly. “You betcha. This ships always ready.” He says. “Lower the rail!” The blond man calls and moments later and wooden railing drops down to the dock.

Riku begins walking up it and Roxas looks behind himself at Axel, watching the man struggle to get out of the rowboat as it sways in the water gently, not having much use of his hands to balance himself. Roxas sighs, walking towards the man and grunting quietly at Axel. The redhead looks at him and pauses, staring at him with a blank look.

“Let’s go.” Roxas comments quietly.

The side of Axel’s mouth quirks downward. “A little help would be nice.” He says, lifting his bound arms together to emphasize his point.

The blond rolls his eyes, kneeling down to grab the rope tied to the boat and pulls it closer to him, making Axel wobble unsteadily as the boat glides towards the dock. When he’s close enough, Roxas reaches his hands out and grips Axel’s forearms gently, helping him step out and refusing to look him in the eyes.

When Axel is on the dock he smirks ferally. “Such a kind Prince.” He coos.

Roxas’ eyes narrow and he has the greatest urge to shove him off the dock and into the water, but knows he can’t because Axel is carrying all of their belongings. Instead he grabs the man’s bound hands and pulls him forward quickly, taking the man by surprise as he stumbles forward. Roxas uses his free hand to slap Axel upside the head, then grabs the rope dangling to the ground and turns around, pulling the groaning redhead behind him up the railing of the ship. When they’re aboard Roxas sees five other men on deck, standing at their posts and chatting among themselves.

“Prince Roxas, it’s an honour.” Cid says to him, kneeling in front of the young blond. “I’m sorry ‘bout your brother. I hope I can be of service to you.” He says.

Roxas raises his hands in shyness. “P-please. You are the one doing us the service. I cannot thank you enough, Captain.” He says quietly. The man rises, clapping him on the shoulder roughly and smiles. Roxas lets out a small noise of surprise, glancing up at the man.

“Call me Cid! And welcome to my ship, Highwind. She’s gonna get us to Eclipsis in two days. A day and a half, if we’re lucky.” The man explains.

Roxas nods, recalling that Xehanort said it took him a few days for them to arrive to the Island from Eclipsis. “That’s wonderful. I hate to come across rude, but is there an area I may sleep? I’m rather exhausted.” He explains.

The older man nods, pointing across the ship to a door. “Just down there are some beds. Take any one of ‘em.” He says. Roxas nods at him, thanking the captain again and turning to Riku as the older blond calls out orders to the other men.

“I’m going to stay up for a bit.” The knight says, glancing across the sea. “I’m not tired yet.” He says simply. Roxas has the feeling Riku can’t let himself rest right now, still feeling an immense amount of guilt. It makes the blond feel a little bad for getting so angry with him earlier, especially since he knows the last thing Riku would ever want is for anything to happen to Sora.

He chooses to just nod at Riku, not sure how to even try and approach that topic. “Right, I’ll see you later then.” He says quietly.

“Does this mean I’m sleeping now too?” Axel asks.

Roxas doesn’t look at him as he begins to walk, pulling the man along. “I could care less what you do.” He says simply, pacing towards the door. He opens it and shuffles inside, closing the door behind him and Axel. He walks down the steps and sees the various small beds lined up with each other as well as the one torch lit, providing some light around the room. There’s a small table and a few chairs, as well as a door leading to what he assumes is the restroom.

The blond looks back to the beds with a frown. He’s never had to sleep around anyone else other than the times him and Sora would share a bed in their childhood. It makes him feel a little weird, but the exhaustion is taking a toll on him and he rubs at his eyes with his free hand tiredly, ultimately deciding that it’s not bad enough to actually care about.

Axel nudges the bags from his shoulders and onto the ground with a light thud. Roxas frowns at the bags and sees the redhead sigh and roll out his shoulders. “Hey, mind doing me a favour and cutting these ropes?” He asks like it’s nothing, holding his wrists out.

Roxas narrows his eyes, looking away. “Why on earth would I do such a thing?” He asks, walking over to a pillar.

Axel follows along, sitting on the edge of a bed. “Well, for starters I have no where to run.” He says.

“You could try and use something as a weapon, or steal Riku’s sword and attack us.” The blond states simply, tugging at Axel’s wrists. The man glowers at him as he’s pulled off of the bed. He stares at the pillar then at Roxas.

“Sit.” The blond commands.

Axel rolls his eyes, exhaling loudly and sitting with his back against the pillar. “Is this really necessary?” He asks with an irked tone. The blond loops his arm around the pillar with the rope in his hand, pulling it around the man’s chest twice and ties him in place.

“Yes.” Roxas says, walking to the back of the pillar and securing the redhead with a tight knot. “I don’t know who you are, or what you’re capable of.” He spits out harshly, standing up and walking to the bed farthest from him.

“You’re right.” Axel drawls, his eyes lighting up. Roxas feels himself tense up at his tone and pauses. “You should know, I could have just used that nice dagger in one of those bags over there to cut myself free earlier.” Axel says slyly.

Roxas pauses mid-step, turning to look back at the smug redhead. He didn’t even notice the man going through their stuff. “If you took anything from there-“

“I didn’t take anything.” The redhead interrupts, rolling his eyes. “You can double check if you don’t believe me.” He states. Roxas does just that, not having an ounce of trust in the man. After he shuffles through everything and it appears nothing has gone missing, Axel speaks again.

“I just wanted to see how prepared you fools are.” The redhead says.

Roxas glares at him sharply, his eyes full of rage. “Watch your tongue.” He threatens.

Axel smirks at him slightly. “My apologies, _Prince_.” He says sarcastically. “But can you blame me? You really believe you can somehow make it across Eclipsis without dying, or even infiltrate the Kings castle?” The man asks, leaning his head against the pillar and closing his eyes. “It’s just not possible.”

Roxas breathes deeply, feeling like the man is trying to rile him up on purpose. “As if your opinion means anything to me.” He counters, looking away.

“It should. I’m the one who knows the country you’re about to trespass on.” The redhead voices cockily.

The blond crosses his arms across his chest. “And I’ll take what you have to say with a grain of salt, considering your track record so far.” He returns.

“Aw, I hurt your feelings, didn’t I? Is it because I lied to you?” Axel calls to him in a teasing tone. “Sorry I wasn’t what you wanted me to be.” He continues sarcastically.

Roxas tenses his jaw, laying down on the bed and facing away from the man to ignore him. When Axel doesn’t get a response, the blond hears him grumble quietly.

“Hey, I’m really hungry. Could ya spare some food?” The redhead asks.

Roxas clenches his eyes shut tightly, burying his face into his pillow. This doesn’t seem to do much for him, as the redhead continues bugging him.

“Don’t try and ignore me. I’ll keep you up all night if you don’t feed me!” Axel says.

Roxas sits up sharply. “No you won’t. You’re not getting any food and if you keep bugging me, I’ll electrocute you.” He threatens, glaring at the man across the room.

“Electrocute me?” Axel asks. “I saw you using fire magic though.” He ponders.

Roxas looks to the side, staring at the torch angrily. “You went through our stuff, didn’t you? Did you miss the thunder tome in there?” He grits out, wanting the man to shut up.

“I saw it, but I thought mages could only command one element.” Axel comments quietly.

The blond sighs, opening his mouth. “I can use three different types.” He explains with a sleepy tone, before snapping at the redhead. “Now shut up and go to sleep, or I will go grab one of them and practice spells on you.” He mutters, laying back down.

“You got it, _Your Grace_.” The redhead mocks.

Roxas grits his teeth, thankful when Axel says nothing else and he begins to feel a much-needed sleep take over his body.


	5. Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I go back to school full time in a few days, so I'm sad to say the upload schedule from here on out will probably not be so great. But I'm confident I'll be able to schedule myself properly to save time for writing!

Roxas wakes up sometime later to a full bladder, sitting up hazily and seeing a few other crew members sleeping on the beds. The blond stands up and walks towards the bathroom with a tired haze clouding his mind. He relieves himself quickly and when he re-enters the room, he looks towards Axel, seeing the man passed out with his head hanging downwards. He feels an instinctual frown come to his face, staring at the man and then decides to go on deck to see what time it is. He walks up the stairs and opens the door quietly, seeing that dawn is approaching. Riku is standing near the front of the ship with Cid, the two chatting.

They look to him when he approaches, his footsteps giving him away. “Good mornin’ Prince Roxas.” Cid greets. “Did ya sleep well?” He asks.

“I did, thank you Cid.” The younger blond responds politely. He looks to Riku next. “Shouldn’t you get some rest?” He asks quietly.

Riku’s eyes glaze over for a moment in tiredness before he blinks. “I assure you I’m fine, Roxas.” He says.

It’s such a blatant lie, Roxas has to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. Riku’s eyes are full of exhaustion, the skin around them dark. “I’m sure you are.” The young blond muses. “When was the last time you slept?” He asks, quirking an eyebrow

Riku frowns slightly, catching onto the blond. “About twenty-four hours ago.” He mutters, but doesn’t budge.

Roxas looks out across the open sea around him impatiently, then turns to Cid. “Would you pardon us Cid? I need to speak with Riku in private.” He says, giving the knight a sharp look that holds no room for debate and turns around to walk back into the sleeping quarters.

When they’re downstairs and Riku sees Axel tied to one of the pillars, he nods approvingly. “Good idea.” He comments quietly.

“Yea, I know I-“ Roxas cuts himself off, shaking his head. “Enough. I order you to get some rest.” The Prince commands.

Riku gives him a testing look, not taking him seriously. “Really? You’re ordering me to rest?” He asks doubtfully.

“Riku, I need you to be in good shape when we arrive to Eclipsis.” The blond starts quietly. “You’re not going to be able to save Sora if you’re depriving yourself of sleep on the first day we set out.”

Riku tenses when Roxas says his twin’s name, looking away. The blond sighs, pushing the knight towards a bed. “Just… try to sleep. Close your eyes and count sheep.” He suggests, starting to untie his armour.

Riku slumps still, allowing the blond to help him take off his armour silently. Roxas works quickly, having seen lots of soldiers dress themselves many times in the past. When all of his armour is off, Riku turns to Roxas wearing a dark undershirt and matching pants. The blond can’t help his gaze flickering to the teen’s broad shoulders, not used to seeing the knight up close with such little on. He’s got a strong build, always having a decent amount of height on both Roxas and Sora as they grew up. The blond turns away quickly, feeling his face redden for staring.

He walks towards Axel, nudging the man with his foot lightly. When he doesn’t respond the blond does it again, feeling impatient. After another moment of silence, he kicks the redhead swiftly, jolting him awake with a sharp gasp.

“Jeez, such a rude awakening!” Axel moans, his face grumpy. Roxas says nothing as he walks behind the pillar, untying the knot and grabbing the rope when it’s loosened from the redhead.

“What, didn’t you get enough beauty sleep?” Riku taunts, staring at Axel with a challenging look.

The redhead scoffs quietly. “Oh, you would not _believe it_.” He responds sarcastically.

“I say we make him sleep there again tonight.” Riku announces proudly, rolling onto his side on the bed.

Roxas purses his lips and doesn’t saying anything as Axel rolls his neck around, wincing at the soreness. He feels a little bad, imagining how uncomfortable that must have been, but then reminds himself of what this man has done and squashes the guilt.

“Come on, you’re getting up now.” Roxas says, tugging lightly at the rope.

Axel sighs, standing up and grunting at his sore limbs. He follows the blond sleepily, still half-asleep as Roxas reaches into one of the bags. He grabs some dried meats, bread and fruit, placing them in his pockets along with one of the flasks of water. He pulls Axel along him, calling out a quick goodnight to Riku. The knight grunts at him, thanking him and lowering his head to the pillow.

Roxas walks back on deck again, making his way to the edge of the ship. He lets go of Axel’s rope, not really worried about him considering the point the redhead made last night; there was no where to run and Roxas wouldn’t have a problem striking him down if need be.

The blond places his hands on the edge of the boat, looking over at the sea below them. Out this far the water looks much darker, almost even scary. When he looks out across the horizon to the rising sun though, he doesn’t feel nervous. The way the light touches the water far out paints a beautiful picture, making him feel surprisingly calm.

Axel stays behind him, looking at the ground. Roxas turns around after a few moments, glancing at the bruised and battered man apprehensively. He’s woken up a little more, becoming less drowsy. He has another bruise on his cheek from when Roxas punched him last night and a bit of dried blood around his mouth. Not that Roxas stares.

“Why did I have to get up too?” The redhead whines, tilting his head and closing his eyes at the bright sun rising. Roxas rolls his eyes, glancing to the sea again.

“Because Riku needs to rest more than you and I. And I don’t trust you not to bug him.” The blond responds.

Axel lets out an agreeable sound. “Probably for the best. Anyway, did you grab food? I’m still starving.” He says.

Roxas pauses, folding his hands behind his back. “I’ll give you food when you answer some of my questions.” He says simply.

Axel lets out a small huff and Roxas turns back around to face him. The redhead stares at him for a moment before he replies. “Alright, ask away.” He says.

Roxas blinks. That easy? He was expecting the redhead to put up at least a bit of resistance. Axel seems to read his expression because he quirks his mouth downward.

“It’s like I told you last night; I was just fulfilling a job. I have no loyalty to that man, especially after not paying me and leaving me stranded in a foreign land.” Axel says, his voice lowering in annoyance at the end.

Roxas narrows his eyes, wondering if that’s supposed to ease his hostility towards the man. “What _do_ you have loyalty to then? Gold?” He asks, unable to help himself.

The redhead gives Roxas lopsided smirk. “It plays a part, but I’d say myself ultimately.” He teases.

Roxas grits his teeth, looking to the side. “Why did King Xehanort kidnap my brother?” He asks, changing the subject because talking to this man makes him annoyed fairly quickly.

Axel’s smirk falls quickly and Roxas thinks he sees the slightest bit of empathy in his eyes. “Look, that I don’t know. It wasn’t even mentioned when they initially hired me. Xemnas informed me of the plan the day of.” He says.

The blond isn’t sure if he can believe him. “Who would know why then?” He asks.

“Probably very few, like Vexen or Xemnas.” Axel responds immediately.

Roxas isn’t sure if he’s being duped again, but regardless reaches into his pocket to grab the dried meat wrapped in cloth. He holds a piece out to Axel, who grabs it awkwardly with his bound hands and takes a bite.

“I only get one piece huh?” Axel asks, chewing on the meat. “Did you guys not properly ration?”

Roxas rolls his eyes. “You’ll get more food with more answers you give me. Answers that are _useful_.” He says. Axel’s eyes glint at him for a moment and he instinctively scowls.

“Why did Xehanort hire you to stand in as someone in his army?” Roxas continues.

“He hired me because King Xehanort doesn’t have much of an army.” Axel responds easily, finishing the rest of the meat.

Roxas furrows his eyebrows in annoyance. “I’m supposed to believe that?” He asks.

He expects Axel to give him another stupid grin, but the redhead’s eyes are serious with no sign of joking. The taller man raises his eyebrow at Roxas, like the blond is the one trying to joke around.

“After the war between Destiny Islands and Eclipsis ninety-two years ago, the entire army was destroyed. When Eclipsis surrendered, the King of Destiny Islands at the time made the King of Eclipsis sign a peace treaty and part of that treaty prohibited the nation from having a large army. Did they not teach you this stuff in Prince School?” Axel asks.

Roxas purses his lips and ignores the last part of Axel’s comment. He’s never learned about such events, not even knowing that the war was so devastating on Eclipsis’ army. He was always taught that it was a peaceful surrender with little casualties on both sides. Part of him wants to brush off Axel’s telling of the events, but the redhead is the one native to the country.

“But if he’s not allowed to have a large army, then why did he hire you? And how many of those men with you were mercenaries?” The blond asks.

Axel pauses, looking upwards as he ponders. “Well, I don’t know his exact army count, but if it’s small, l would imagine he wanted those soldiers guarding the castle. And there was about forty of us in total.” He says.

The blond hums quietly, thinking on that. There’s some merit to Axel’s response, especially if what Axel said earlier is true. Roxas purses his lips, the gears turning in his head. “So if there’s no army, who deals with civil conflict in your country?” He asks.

At first the redhead doesn’t respond, but then Roxas hears the man chucking quietly. He looks up at Axel sharply, seeing a smug look on his face. “You really know nothing about the place you’re travelling to, huh?” He asks condescendingly.

“Well, no.” Roxas snaps. “I’ve never been there before.” He says.

“I can tell.” Axel purrs.

The blond clenches his jaw, needing to take a few breaths otherwise he would definitely punch Axel again at the very least.

“Where are we sailing for in Eclipsis?” The redhead asks after a stretch of silence.

Roxas blinks, turning his head back to Axel with a blank look. He furrows his eyebrows, opening his mouth. “You’re not the one asking questions here.” He says.

After a few seconds the redhead’s expression becomes pointed. “You don’t even know where we’re going?” He asks doubtfully, seeing through the blond’s lie.

Roxas stares at Axel with a glare, annoyed that the redhead called him out so easily. “Riku was the one who set this up, not me.” The blond retorts, crossing his arms and looking away.

Axel lets out a hum. “Perhaps you should find out then.” He offers, staring at the food in Roxas’ hands.

Roxas scowls again, narrowing his eyes at the redhead. “Do not presume to tell me what to do.” He bites out.

“Let me give you some advice _Prince Roxas_ ,” Axel starts sarcastically. “Those authoritative manners might get your knight Rooku all hot and bothered, but if you try and talk to people like that in Eclipsis, they’ll capture you and probably sell you off to the highest bidder as a slave.” He explains, tilting his head to the side slightly as he talks.

Roxas raises his chin, inhaling. “His name is _Riku_ and you will address him as such from here on out.” The blond states coolly, meeting the man’s gaze.

Axel stares at him for a moment longer before his eyes light up. “You know, you’re much different now compared to when I talked to you at the party.” He comments.

The blond grits his teeth, his guard going up even more at the man’s expression. “Funny. I feel the same way about you.”

“I suppose that’s fair.” Axel says, glancing at the food again. Roxas rolls his eyes, handing some more dried meat to the redhead as well as some bread. Axel looks at him with surprise and the blond walks towards to front of the boat wordlessly after, intent on ignoring the taller man for the time being. He stares out at the open waters, munching on bread and fruit as his mind trails back to Sora and all he can hope is that his brother is safe.

Riku comes back on deck in the early afternoon, the knight dressed in the same outfit as earlier. Roxas nods to him as he approaches, pleased that the teen is looking significantly well-rested.

“You let him off?” The silver-haired teen asks, nodding across the boat. Roxas follows his line of vision and sees Axel sitting on a wooden crate and chatting with one of the crew members, his arms still bound with the rest of the rope hanging on the ground.

The blond nods. “He already knows you and I have weapons. Plus, it’s not like he can go far.”

Riku nods with his lips pursed in a slightly disapproving manner, but says nothing about it further. “I saw that you brought this along.” He states, holding out the dagger Roxas took. “Pretty rare too, where did you get it?”

Roxas takes it and looks to the side, swallowing thickly. “The armoury. I took it when I grabbed my tomes.” He says, gazing to Riku again.

The knight has an amused expression on his face, smirking slightly. “I’m impressed, I didn’t know you could wield knives.” He says. The blond purses his lips, looking away again.

“Wait,” Riku starts. “You stole a dagger you can’t use?” He asks.

Roxas scoffs, rolling his eyes. “It’s a knife, how hard can it be to use? You just stab people.” He ignores Riku’s unimpressed glance and continues. “It’s not like I’m going to be using it much anyway.” The blond mutters, glancing down at it in his hand.

Riku’s expression becomes thoughtful. “It’s good to have a last defence weapon I suppose.” He says casually. It makes Roxas’ finger twitch nervously around the knife, not liking the idea of _last defence_ , but nods along.

“You should keep it on you though. Don’t want him getting any ideas.” The knight adds, looking to Axel again with a wary expression. Roxas doesn’t mention that Axel already knew about the dagger, instead tying the sheathed weapon to his belt and nodding.

“Where did you find him yesterday?” Roxas asks, glancing over towards Axel.

“I bumped into him when rounding a corner by the harbour. He immediately tried running, but I caught up with him quickly.” The knight recalls. Roxas looks over to Riku as he continues, a small triumphant smile on the knight’s face. “Put up a decent fight.” He adds.

Roxas likes hearing that Riku was able to overpower him. “Did he have any weapons on him?” He muses.

“Just a sword. He didn’t pull it on me though.” The knight answers.

The blond frowns slightly. Why wouldn’t he have done that? The man claimed to be a mercenary, so why didn’t he try and fight Riku? He spares a glance towards the redhead again and his breath hitches when he realizes Axel is staring at him. The taller man doesn’t break eye contact though, so Roxas has to look away first.

“So what’s the plan when we land in Eclipsis?” He asks, folding his arms and leaning against the ship railing.

“We’ll be landing in a place called Traverse Town by tomorrow night at the latest. We can use the mercenary to get us to King Xehanort from there, but I think we should also try and find a map of the area to be sure.” Riku explains.

Roxas nods along, staring out at the water. “How far is the city from Xehanort’s castle?”

“About five days travel.” The knight murmurs.

“Five days!?” Roxas exclaims, turning to Riku. “We don’t have that much time-”

“Roxas, Traverse Town is as far as Cid is willing to take us. Chances are, Xehanort will be sending some kind of ransom to your father in that time.” The knight says, swallowing thickly. “We’ll move as quickly as we can.” He finishes quietly, staring at Roxas with a determined look.

Roxas takes a breath, attempting to keep his emotions under control. It doesn’t make sense to get mad at Riku about this and the knight has a valid point. The blond frowns, but nods anyway. “What do we do with him once we get to the Castle?” He asks, glancing at Axel.

“Bring him with us. He’s coming back to the King after all of this to stand trial.” The knight says plainly, no mercy in his voice. Roxas gulps, fairly certain of what the outcome of that would be and then looks down, blinking.

“Right, of course.” He murmurs, glancing over the sea again.

* * *

 The rest of the day goes by much too slowly for Roxas’ liking. He speaks with Cid for sometime, getting to know the man more which is a nice distraction. The captain helped build his ship years ago when he was young with his father, who was a fisherman. Him and his father worked together often until the man fell ill in his later years. Cid went sailing around the oceans for many months after his father passed away, but eventually found himself coming back to Destiny Islands to build and repair ships for fishermen. Roxas wonders how you could want to come back to the islands after having the entire world at your sails, but nods along as the older blond explains.

When it’s late in the day and the sun has set, Roxas and Riku walk towards the sleeping quarters, opening the door and walking down the steps quietly. Roxas scans the room, seeing Axel laying on one of the beds with his back facing the blond. The redhead turns to look at him for a second before laying his head back down.

Riku’s gaze quickly hardens at Axel. “You’ll not be sleeping there tonight.” The knight says.

Axel lets out a long exhale, sitting up and rolling his eyes. “Why exactly do I need to be tied to a post a second night in a row?” He asks, glancing at Riku. Roxas almost agrees with him, considering how unproblematic Axel was the entire day. He may not enjoy being around the man, but he did provide Roxas with all the information he wanted earlier. And he’s still got very limited use of his hands, so that should be enough.

The knight’s mouth curls into a sneer. “Because you’re a nefarious sell-sword.” He bites out. Roxas looks to Riku for a moment, seeing the way his eyes are filled with judgement and animosity.

Axel’s eyes narrow into a glare. “Oh, is that all?” He asks sarcastically.

Riku stares at the redhead for a moment later before resting his hand on the handle of his sword and giving Axel a last warning glance. The redhead stands up, but doesn’t make a move to walk.

“The only difference between you and I is a title.” Axel hisses out with a smirk on his face, stalking towards a pillar.

Roxas catches the way Riku’s grip on his sword tightens. He swallows thickly, unsure if he should intervene.

“And honour. And dignity.” The knight responds, his eyes glued on the redhead.

Axel leans his back against the pillar before he slides into a sitting position. “Someone who swears to serve a King like Ansem has neither of those things.” He taunts, flashing Riku an impish grin.

Riku begins taking quick strides towards Axel, starting to unsheathe his sword and Roxas steps in between them, blocking the silver-haired teen. Riku looks at Roxas with a confused expression, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Prince Roxas?” Riku asks.

Roxas blinks, opening his mouth to try and justify why he just prevented Riku from striking Axel after he insulted his father. He pauses for a second, then catches himself, raising his chin. “Please. I just want to relax right now. Ignore his comments.” He says, trying to save face.

Riku stares at him for a moment before nodding sharply, sheathing his blade again. “Of course. Excuse me, I just remembered I had to speak with Cid.” He says, turning around and walking back on deck. Roxas stares at the door with a strange expression before he turns around to glance at Axel.

The redhead is still sitting against the pillar and is staring up at him with a blank look, clearly not expecting the Prince to have intervened. Roxas opens his mouth to try and justify his actions again, but pauses with his mouth open. “You were trying to agitate him.” The blond states.

“Pushing people’s buttons is fun.” The redhead murmurs, glaring at the door to the deck as if Riku was standing there.

Roxas gives Axel an unimpressed look and walks to a bed far from him and wonders if he should have just let Riku cut the man’s tongue out.

“Does this mean I can sleep on a bed?” The redhead asks.

Roxas says nothing in response, hearing Axel shuffle onto one and the redhead is silent for the remainder of the night.

* * *

 The next morning Roxas wakes up first and grabs a mango and banana, stuffing them in his pockets as he walks up onto the deck. He stands by himself at the edge of the boat, gazing at the waters around him and still seeing no signs of other land. This really was quite a distance from home.

The blond eats his banana slowly, chewing the fruit and then throwing the peel over the edge of the ship. He turns around only to be met with Axel standing in front of him, the redhead staring at him silently. Roxas jumps in surprise, his eyes widening.

A small smile comes to Axel’s face. “You’re easy to spook.” He comments.

Roxas frowns at the redhead, letting out a huff and recalling the previous times Axel startled him. “Is there a reason you’re standing behind me silently?” He asks.

“You woke me up.” Axel says, raising his eyebrows at the blond. “And I’m hungry.”

Roxas narrows his eyes slightly at the redhead’s playful tone. He’s surprised the redhead didn’t just take some food from their bags. Regardless, the blond reaches into his pocket, pulling out a mango and tossing it at Axel gently. The redhead fumbles with it and then finally catches it, staring at the fruit with a raised eyebrow. “What is this?” He asks.

The blond purses his lips, looking to the side. “It’s a mango.” He says shortly.

Axel notices his amusement, giving him an unimpressed look. “Sorry I don’t know your tropical fruits. Nothing like this is native to Eclipsis.” He says, bringing it to his mouth and attempting to take a bite out of it. He grimaces when his teeth meet the pit harshly, pulling the fruit back with a confused look.

Roxas can’t help the short laugh that comes from him, covering his mouth. Axel narrows his eyes at the blond. “Oh, so little Prince Roxas has a funny bone. Ha ha, hilarious.” He says sarcastically, clearly flustered.

The blond shakes his head, holding his hand out and holding back an insult. Axel drops the mango into his palm and Roxas reaches for the small knife on his belt, pulling it out and beginning to cut into the mango with ease. He tosses the piece containing the pit off the side of the ship as he works to carve into the rest of the fruit. Axel stares quizzically and when he’s done he inverts the fruit, showing the diced cubes and holding it out to the redhead, not meeting the man’s gaze.

“Eat the cubes.” The blond says, focusing on one of the crew members working behind Axel. The redhead grabs the fruit and eats it silently, letting out a surprised noise as he eats the first piece.

“This is delicious.” Axel comments, biting more of the fruit off. Roxas glances down, working on slicing the other half and not responding. The redhead continues to bite the cubes off of the skin, clearly enjoying himself immensely as he chews the fruit.

Roxas opens his mouth but keeps his gaze low. “We land in Traverse Town today.” He says quietly. It would be wise to start gathering information from Axel now, before they arrive.

The redhead nods slowly in his peripheral. “Makes sense. It’s a coastal town.” He says, chewing the mango.

“Is it a big town?” The blond asks.

“Give me that and maybe I’ll tell you.” He says, nodding at the other half of the mango in Roxas’ hands.

The blond narrows his eyes. “Tell me and maybe I won’t have Riku gut you like a fish.” He retorts, holding the mango back.

“Alright, alright.” The redhead says casually, trying to de-escalate. “It was more of a joke if anything.” He says. Roxas gulps, not sure how he feels about that.

“It’s a big town.” Axel says. “No horses though. And you’ll want to get some for travel.”

“Where would the closest place be to acquire horses then?” The blond asks.

Axel hums quietly. “I’m sure there would be stables within a couple hours of walking distance.” He offers. Roxas nods along and finishes slicing the mango.

“If we get there at night, you’ll want to find an inn to stay at until morning.” Axel adds, watching Roxas invert the mango half again.

The blond looks up at the redhead with a frown. “Why?” He asks.

“Cause nighttime is when the wolves come out to play with Princes and Knights.” Axel says simply.

He sees the way the redhead eyes him up with a smirk and his gaze narrows at Axel. He holds up the mango and watches Axel’s eyes follow it before bringing the fruit to his mouth taking a bite of one of the cubes. He doesn’t even like mangoes that much, but the way Axel’s expression falls and the way his mouth hangs open in shock are worth it.

“That’s cruel _and_ unusual!” The redhead calls to him as he begins walking away.

Roxas feels himself smirk, taking another bite and shrugging his shoulders. He can’t help wonder what Axel meant. Were there actual wolves? Or was he just talking about criminals? The blond walks towards Cid, who is steering the ship with a grin on his face as the Prince approaches.

“G’mornin’ Your Grace!” The man says to him as he approaches.

Roxas nods to the man, offering a small smile in return. “Hello Cid. How are you this morning?”

“Ah, just peachy keen. Skies are lookin’ clear and the wind is on our side.” He boasts, glancing around him. Roxas’ eyes follow, staring across the morning sky.

“That’s good news.” The younger blond muses.

“You betcha!” The man starts, bringing his hand to his mouth for a moment. “At this rate, we should be arriving to Traverse Town in about four hours!” He says.

Roxas nods, smiling faintly. Now it doesn’t even matter if Axel was being truthful or not in his stupid comments. They would arrive by the early afternoon and have time to reach a stable to buy horses with the gold Cloud gave them.

“I have a question for you Cid.” The Prince says hesitantly.

The Captain glances at him, noticing his tone. “What is it, Prince Roxas?”

Roxas narrows his eyes towards Axel, seeing the redhead beginning to walk back to the sleeping quarters. He exhales slowly, praying the man doesn’t wake Riku. “Is Traverse Town dangerous?” He asks, glancing towards the older blond again.

Cid gives him a serious glance. “I’ll be honest with ya, Your Grace. Most towns and cities in Eclipsis are pretty dangerous. ‘Specially at night.” He explains lowly.

Roxas swallows thickly, keeping his cool and raising his chin confidently. “I see. What kinds of characters?” He asks

“All kinds.” Cid sighs, sighing. “Mercenaries, bandits, sometimes even pirates.” He says.

Pirates? What kind of country was this? He wonders.

“But! It’s nothing for you to worry about.” Cid says, his tone picking up again. “I’ve seen Riku fight and I hear you’re no pushover yourself!” The Captain says, giving the blond a knowing look. Roxas smiles shyly as the man continues. “You’re brave, Prince Roxas. Not a lot of people would do this, even for their family.” He says, his voice gentle through its gruffness.

Roxas looks at the sails of the boat, unsure if he’s able to give much of a response to that. He takes a breath after a moment and then turns to Cid.

“Thank you, Cid. I must go speak with Riku now, so we can go over our plan before we land.” He says, beginning to walk away.

The older blond waves a hand at him as he descends back into the sleeping quarters, only to be met with the sight of Axel tied to a pillar with another bloody lip and Riku sitting at the small table, leering at the redhead.

Both their gazes turn to Roxas as he walks down the steps. “What’s going on?” The Prince asks sharply.

“I woke up to him going through our belongings.” The knight mutters, narrowing his eyes at Axel again. Roxas looks to Axel with a slight frown. Didn’t the man go through their stuff already?

The redhead gives no indication of responding to the accusation so Roxas opens his mouth. “And what were you expecting to find?” He asks.

Axel looks at him for a moment before his lips twitch slightly. Then he looks away from the blond. “A weapon to cut these bonds.” He mutters.

Roxas narrows his eyes. “Liar.” He says quietly.

The redhead grits his teeth, glaring at Roxas. The Prince holds his gaze challengingly, before turning to Riku. “Keep him there until we land. I came to relay that we’ll be arriving in about four hours.” The blond says.

Riku’s gaze becomes less heated at the news. “That’s great. We’ve made excellent timing.” He says.

“Well, I for one am _very_ excited to get off this boat.” Axel says, causing both of the teens to stare at him skeptically as he continues. “Because being at sea this long is really boring.” He grumbles.

“It’s not going to get much more exciting for you on land.” Riku retorts, leaning back in his seat.

The redhead smirks, resting his head against the pillar softly and closing his eyes. “Hmph. That’s wishful thinking.” He says cryptically. Riku’s eyes become cold again, glaring at Axel.

“It doesn’t matter,” Roxas states before the two get heated again. The blond thinks this is going to be how they’ll act towards each other throughout the entirety of their journey and he really doesn’t want to listen to it, so he will have to mediate as best as he can. Or just command Riku to hold his tongue, because it’s unlikely Axel would listen to him. Whichever works better.

“Until we land, the rest of the trip will be nice and boring. Cid said the skies are clear and the winds are in our favour.” He declares sternly.

A moment after the words leave his mouth, a crack of thunder pierces the sky, causing Roxas to flinch. He runs to the small window, peering out and seeing the sky become dark with clouds.

“That’s bad luck if I’ve ever seen it.” Axel murmurs. The blond turns to him, giving him an icy stare before he hears Riku push his chair out as the knight stands up and looks at him.

“I’m going to go see if they need any help. Stay here.” The silver-haired teen says, rushing upstairs. Roxas watches him go, not given an opportunity to agree before the knight is gone. Another crack of thunder booms around them and Roxas sees a flash of lighting from the small window. He stares outside intently. How was this even possible? The skies were clear just a moment ago for Gods sake. The blond swallows thickly as he sees the waters becoming more unsteady, waves beginning to build around them.

Axel lets out a small curse, bringing the Prince’s attention towards him. He sees the redhead with his head between his knees, not saying anything. Then he feels a slight unsteady motion in the boat, shifting his weight to balance himself. Axel actually groans a little bit this time, causing Roxas to raise his eyebrow.

“You gotta untie me Roxas.” The redhead says seriously, raising his head to meet his eyes.

Roxas glares at the man. “That’s _Prince_ Roxas to you.” He responds.

Axel whines lowly, resting his head against the pillar again. “I’m gonna hurl all over this place if you don’t get over here and untie me.” He warns, ignoring the blond’s comment.

Roxas rolls his eyes, walking over to the pillar and beginning to loosen the knots. “You better not be trying anything.” He says, his eyes cast down.

“All I’m trying to do is make it to the bucket before I get sick.” Axel says, his head lulling.

Roxas purses his lips. “You speak lowly of Riku and I, yet you can’t handle a little storm?” He asks, finishing untying the knots and watching the ropes loosen. Axel stands up, wobbling slightly as he makes his way across the room.

Another clap of thunder booms and Axel scoffs. “Yea you call this a little storm?” He replies as he slams the door behind him. Roxas stares at it with an unimpressed expression before he looks away when he hears the man retching. Roxas walks over to the table, taking a seat and resting his elbows on top of it. About ten minutes later the redhead returns, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He sways to one of the beds and lands with a thud, groaning and lulling his head to the side.

“Isn’t this your first time travelling?” Axel asks him groggily. Roxas gives the redhead a confused look and nods. Axel closes his eyes and rolls into the pillow as the ship sways slightly again. “So how exactly are you not concerned or sick?” He asks in an annoyed manner.

The first thing that comes to Roxas’ mind is that he has much bigger things to be concerned about than a storm, other than the fact that it will probably end up hindering their arrival. _That_ makes him feel slightly worried, because the longer it takes to get to Sora the more likely something bad will happen to him. He doesn’t tell Axel that though, because the redhead doesn’t need to know that and he’ll probably make some stupid comment about the _wolves_ in Traverse Town, eating up Princes and Knights for midnight snacks.

“I’m not a scared child, unlike you.” Roxas ends up saying, which causes the redhead to give a shaky laugh in return.

“Oh Prince Roxas, you’re an enigma.” Axel says, then lets out a pained moan as the ship sways once more, much stronger. Roxas doesn’t have a moment to interject and wonder why the redhead would say such a thing before his emerald eyes get serious. “Oh shit.” Axel says. A moment later the redhead shoots up back towards the room, vomiting again.

This time Roxas actually feels kind of bad, especially since Axel didn’t close the door behind him and is on his knees heaving with his hands bound. He looks to the side, ignoring the “Sora” part of his mind that tells him to go aid the man no matter who he is, but then when Axel eventually makes his way back towards the beds and Roxas looks at his sickly face he lets out a long exhale and stands up. The redhead ignores him as he walks towards his bed and plops down, while Roxas kneels in front of their bags and rustles through them until he finds what he wants.

The blond walks back to where Axel is laying, staring at the man who is groaning every so often with his back to him. Roxas rolls his eyes, clearing his throat and looking to the ceiling. He sees the redhead roll towards him in his peripheral and then looks down at him with his lips pursed.

“Drink this.” He commands, dropping his arms at his sides and showing the small bottle to Axel.

The redhead raises an eyebrow at him, leering at the almost-empty bottle nervously. “What is it?” He asks hesitantly.

“It will make you fall asleep.” He says simply, not mentioning that it’s also a painkiller. Axel gives him a pointed look and rolls his eyes. “I used this after I hit my head. It works.” He mumbles, looking down at the redhead.

After another moment of silence Roxas feels his patience wearing thin. “Fine.” He says simply, turning around to go drop it back in his bag. He stops when Axel murmurs something to him, turning around to narrow his eyes in question at the man.

“I said I’ll take it.” The redhead says, sitting up and swaying slightly.

“Gods, you’d think you were at death’s door.” Roxas says, his mouth in a scowl. Axel gives him a lopsided grin though, unfazed in the slightest by his expression. The blond pops the cap off of the small glass bottle, passing it to Axel and watching the man accept it awkwardly in his hands.

“Do I drink it all?” He asks, peering into it.

The Prince nods. “Not much left anyway, just finish it.” He responds. Axel gulps it down easily, swallowing and furrowing his eyebrows.

“It will take a couple minutes for you to feel it. Lay down.” Roxas orders. The redhead does as he’s told silently and hardly reacts to a sudden movement of the boat. The Prince’s expression relaxes, staring at Axel as he begins falling unconscious slowly, his eyes fluttering. When he falls into a deep sleep, Roxas unknowingly finds himself in a daze, watching the redhead lay peacefully. He eventually snaps himself out of it, his eyes widening and bells ringing off in his head. He gulps, turning around and walking to the table while grabbing one of his tomes to read over, even though he’s got them all pretty much memorized.

He doesn’t know how long it’s been since he’s sat down with his nose stuffed into his tome, but eventually he stops hearing the rain and thunder, and feeling the swaying movement of the ship. When everything is completely calm, he stands up and walks towards the window to stare out at the sea. The skies are still dark and cloudy, but the thunder and strong winds have surely passed.

Roxas walks towards the small steps, opening the door and instantly smelling the scent of rain and seeing the ship completely soaked. Some of the crew members are cleaning the excess water off of the sides of the boat and Roxas hears Cid yelling out orders to others. The Prince walks to the front of the boat, approaching the Captain and Riku, both men looking aggravated at the very least.

“Prince Roxas! I hope you are alright? That storm really caught us by surprise.” Cid says, the man soaked and looking exhausted.

The Prince nods hastily. “Yes, Cid I’m fine. I’m more concerned with everyone up here.” He says, looking around to the crew members and counting the five. “I’m glad everyone is okay, it seems.”

Cid laughs gruffly, patting Roxas on the shoulder with a thump. “Oh that wasn’t enough of a storm to take any of our men out.” He says heartily.

“But,” Riku starts, crossing his arms. “It was enough to push us back several hours of arriving to Traverse Town.”

The young blond’s gaze falls, but then he catches himself quickly and looks back to the men. “It’s fine. We were already on track at a faster pace than normal. This won’t delay us anymore than it normally would have.”

Cid and Riku both look surprised for a moment before the knight nods to him. “You’re right. We’ll get there just as night falls and begin making our way west.”

Roxas opens his mouth to suggest they stay at an inn like Axel warned him earlier, but he pauses and then nods, agreeing quietly. He would wait until they arrived before deciding if he could trust the man’s words. The blond looks to the cloudy sky suddenly as he feels a raindrop hit his cheek, narrowing his eyes.

“You two get back inside, just looks like it’s gonna rain for a bit. Get all the rest you can, you don’t want to be tired tonight.” Cid says, placing his fists on his hips.

Riku looks like he’s about to protest until Roxas gives him a rigid gaze, the blond tilting his head slightly and beginning to walk back to the cabin. “Come along, Riku.” He says. He hears the knight say goodbye to Cid quickly before trailing behind him.

When they arrive downstairs, Riku gasps quietly at Axel sleeping on one of the beds. “How did he untie himself?” He asks, starting towards the redhead quickly.

“Riku!” Roxas hisses quietly. The knight halts, turning to him with a confused expression. “He got seasick earlier. Was throwing up for a good half-hour. Just let the man sleep.” He orders, furrowing his eyebrows.

The knight looks at him as if he said something offensive, his mouth curling downward before he turns away from the blond, laying down on one of the beds without another word. Roxas holds back his sigh, not wanting to get into it and walks over to a bed between the two, laying down and closing his eyes as he hears the faint patter of rain against the ship.

* * *

 He wakes up sometime later, opening his eyes lazily and blinking a few times before he sits up. He looks around the room, seeing that Riku is still resting and Axel is sitting at the small table, his head bowed as he studies something. Roxas rubs at his eyes, sitting up and catching the redhead’s attention. The Prince stands up, walking by him without a word as he relives himself down in the other room. He’s thankful that Axel’s mess is all cleaned up, otherwise he’d be kicking the redhead in here immediately to do so.

When Roxas returns into the room he finally glances at Axel again, he sees that the redhead is reading the fire tome he left out from earlier. The man’s eyes are squinted as he scans the lines and Roxas walks up from behind him, closing the book shut and taking it.

“I was reading that!” Axel protests quietly, turning to look at him.

Roxas rolls his eyes, placing the tome in his bags. “You can’t read the Ancient Tongue.” He states.

The redhead scoffs softly from behind him. “Well obviously, but it’s the only thing down here keeping me sane.” He says.

“That’s unfortunate.” Roxas states simply, standing up again and walking towards the steps.

He hears Axel’s voice start from behind him. “Captain said we’re almost there.” The redhead says quietly.

The blond pauses, turning around. “Really?” He asks.

Axel nods at him, his eyes bored. “You can see the town from here.” He says.

Roxas runs upstairs without saying anything in response, opening the door and closing it behind him quickly before running to the front of the boat and staring off at the faint torches lit around the town off in the distance.

“There she is,” Cid calls from behind him. “Traverse Town. We made it, Your Grace.” He says, stopping next to the Prince and glancing at him.

Roxas turns to him with a small smile. “And all thanks to you and your crew. I cannot thank you enough Cid.” He says.

The Captain laughs sheepishly, rubbing a hand behind his head. “Aw, it was nothin’. It’s been awhile since I’ve done anything exciting anyhow.” He replies with a slight smirk.

The Prince chuckles quietly in response, folding his hands behind his back. “I trust Riku has given you your payment?” He asks.

“Half of it. He told me I’ll get the rest when you lot come back.” The older blond responds.

Roxas looks to the man questioningly, raising an eyebrow. “You’re waiting in town for us?” He asks.

Cid gives him the same questioning look in response. “Well, how did ya think you were getting home?”

“I…don’t know. I assumed we’d have to bribe another Captain.” Roxas suggests, shrugging.

The older man laughs gruffly. “Naw, Your Grace! We’ll be docking and staying put ‘till you guys get back with your brother.” He declares.

“Will it be safe though?” The blond asks quietly, staring at the dark town as it draws nearer.

Cid lets out a small huff, crossing his arms. “Not likely. But all these men know how to fight, and I’m not half-bad with an axe either.” He says, crossing his arms. Roxas nods along, not knowing the man was also a fighter.

The Captain catches his attention again as he speaks once more. “You’d better go round up the other two. You’ll want to move quickly once we land.” He explains.

Roxas nods, pacing back to the sleeping quarters and being met with the sight of Axel reading one of his tomes again. He gives the man an unimpressed look before shaking his head and walking towards Riku, calling the knight’s name softly to wake him. The silver-haired teen stirs as he’s brought out of his slumber, opening his eyes and blinking a couple times at Roxas.

“We’re here.” Roxas says simply.

The knight sits up sharply, standing up and beginning to walk towards his armour. “I’ll be ready in ten.” He says, moving quickly.

“Well, they haven’t anchored the ship or anything yet.” Roxas says, sitting down on one of the beds. “So there’s no rush.”

Riku dresses himself quickly anyway, having all of his armour on within ten minutes and then sits on one of the beds across from Roxas, tapping his foot impatiently. The blond walks towards their bags, grabbing the two hooded robes and passing one to the knight. Riku accepts it with a quiet thanks, tying it around his shoulders and raising the hood over his head. Roxas does the same then takes a deep breath, feeling his mind start to blank out around him. This is it, he thinks to himself. There’s no turning back now.

When Cid opens the door and calls to them, the thought is reaffirmed while accompanied by a fluttering heart in the Prince’s chest. He stands up, his feet feeling heavy as Riku ascends upstairs. Axel trails behind, having packed everything up and holding onto the bags on his shoulders again. The redhead pauses when Roxas doesn’t move, giving the blond a raised eyebrow.

“Not getting cold feet now, are you Prince Roxas?” Axel asks him with a hint of teasing laced in his voice.

The blond snaps out of his daze, letting out a small huff and walking by the man without a word. He grabs the rope dangling from the redhead's wrists, pulling him along to return to the deck. He notices right away that it’s raining again, the water droplets falling harshly around him. He pulls his robe around himself tighter in an attempt to shield from the rain, giving Cid a quick wave in goodbye as the run down the ramp towards the town.

The first thing he notices about the town is that it’s eerily quiet, the sounds of rain hitting the ground being the only thing Roxas hears. It makes sense, considering it’s nighttime and the rain is coming down pretty hard, but it doesn’t do much to let up his nerves. Most of the torches lit around the town have been drowned out thanks to the rain, so Roxas doesn’t have a great view of everything around them, but he makes out the silhouettes of stone buildings around them.

“Let’s find somewhere to wait out the rain.” The knight calls to them, his face shielded by his hood.

Roxas nods hastily, following behind Riku as he begins jogging out of the harbour towards various buildings. They run through the quiet streets without seeing a single person, their strides splashing through the various puddles. After minutes of running, Roxas feels himself becoming soaked in the rain.

“Is there going to be anything open at this time of night?” He calls, shivering slightly.

“I think there’s a place just down this street!” Riku responds, pointing at a building.

Roxas looks ahead of them and sees the small building with light coming from the windows. As they approach, he can hear the sounds of men yelling and laughing together. A tavern, perhaps? He smiles slightly as they approach, eager to get out of the rain. Riku opens the door quickly and the three of them collect inside, panting and catching their breaths.

The Prince rubs a hand along his forehead, then freezes and drops the rope holding Axel when he hears the chatter around them go silent. Roxas looks up and nearly gasps at all of the rugged looking men around them, each of them eyeing the trio up with suspicious gazes.

“Don’t say a word.” Axel murmurs quietly to them, taking the lead and walking forward into the pub. He keeps his hands low and under his robe to hide the bonds as the two follow along silently. Riku keeps his head low, while Roxas can’t tear his eye away from all of the people staring at them like they were some kind of prey. Nearly all of them have weapons, ranging from swords to axes and it makes the blond’s hands start to feel clammy. Oh Gods, were these the people Axel and Cid were telling him about? Were they about to get butchered down within twenty minutes of arriving to the foreign country?

He nearly bumps into Axel when the man stops in front of a table, shuffling into one of the benches and Roxas follows suit, sitting on the other side. Riku sits next to him, sneaking glances at people every now and again. The chatter in the tavern starts picking up again, and before he knows it Roxas hears everyone return to how they normally were, drinking and yelling. A moment later, a gruff looking man approaches their table, raising his eyebrow without a word and Axel calls out their order to the man, flashing him a bright smirk as he does so.

The redhead looks to Roxas and Riku after the man leaves and lets out an amused exhale. “Wow. You both look like you just saw ghosts.” He says, smirking slightly.

“I didn’t expect to walk into a bar full of criminals and thugs.” Riku hisses at him quietly. “We should leave.” He says, sparing a glance to the door.

Axel shakes his head. “Probably not the best idea.” He muses, leaning back in his seat. “These guys will definitely tail you if you leave so suddenly.”

Roxas is still looking around at various people in the tavern, and when his eyes meet another man’s and the older, fierce-looking beast of a man cracks a feral smile at him he looks down and can’t help agreeing. Riku says nothing further, his hand close to the handle of his sword. The knight flinches when three mugs slam down on their table and Roxas looks up just as the man serving them turns around without another word. He frowns and picks up his drink after Riku takes a sip, wincing slightly at the taste.

His reaction makes Axel chuckle. “What? Nothing like the fancy wines they serve you back home, Prince Roxas?” He asks.

Roxas’ eyes widen as the man says it, then Axel’s do to at the realization of his slip up. He scans their area, wondering if anyone heard the redhead’s comment. After no initial outburst, Roxas assumes they’re safe and chooses to glare heatedly at Axel. That is, until in his peripheral he sees the man who gave him an unnerving smile stand up and begin walking towards their table. Roxas inhales quietly, looking down as he speaks.

“There’s a man coming this way.” He says, taking hefty drink and forcing it to go down his throat even though it burns.

“Woah, there. That’s a sipping drink, not a chugging drink lad!” A voice calls to him.

Roxas nearly chokes, pulling the mug away from his face and setting it down on the table harshly as he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. He looks up at the man, who is now standing directly in front of their table. Up close Roxas sees that his face is covered in scars and he feels his heart thumping wildly in fear.

The blond opens his mouth, forcing himself to respond. “I realize that now.” He says quietly.

The man laughs, placing both of his hands on their table. The trio say nothing further as they wait for the man to respond, each of them unsure of what he’s going to say.

“A small lad like you needs to be careful, otherwise you’ll be piss drunk after a single cup!” He jests, laughing loudly.

Axel laughs along with the man, giving the other two sharp looks before they join in as well, forcing quiet chuckles.

“I came over because I’ve never seen the likes of you around here before. Travellers?” He asks, glancing at their bags.

Riku nods, sipping his drink. “We’re headed west.” He says quietly.

The man hums, crossing his arms. Roxas has to force himself to keep breathing as the man sizes them up some more. He clenches his fist under the table tightly when the man’s gaze rests on him again, but the man skips over him and his gaze narrows at Axel.

“You have yet to drink. Something wrong?” He asks, raising an eyebrow at the redhead.

Axel shakes his head. “Nothing at all. There’s no rush, is there?” He asks lightly, shrugging his shoulders.

The man cracks a slight smile. “No, none at all lad. Cheers.” He responds, nodding once and turning around.

As he walks back to his seat Axel leans over the table to them quickly. “You need to cut these bonds. _Now._ ” He demands quietly. “If someone notices, it’ll be a dead giveaway that we’re not just regular travellers.”

Roxas and Riku both stare at him, unmoving. “Absolutely not.” The knight responds first. Roxas just nods along, taking another sip of his drink and realizing that he’s already finished it. The blond sets his cup down and glances around the pub again. He freezes when he sees the man who served them walk towards the exit and pause in front of it, before Roxas hears the clicking of metal signalling the lock being shut.

He swallows thickly, looking to the man who spoke with him earlier and seeing the wicked smile come to his face.

“Guys,” Roxas says nervously, folding his hands around his mug as the two glance at him. “They just locked the door.” He whispers. Axel's gaze slowly trails to the door, then the redhead lets out a long exhale when he realizes Roxas is right.

“Oh, did you think you would be leaving so soon?” The scarred-man announces to them.

Roxas’ blood goes cold, his eyes widening like a fearful animal as he glances at the men starting to grab their weapons around them and the room falls silent once more. Riku looks to him with a serious glance and even Axel looks a little frightened.

“Apologies, lads. Ya can’t just let a Prince walk away so easily.” The man declares, picking up his axe and holding it in front of him threateningly.


	6. Turmoil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhh guys! So glad to finally have this chapter out, I'm sorry it's taken so long! Life is busier than I predicted, but here it is :) please let me know what you think! Also...one more week till KH III!

Riku is the first to react, jumping out of his seat and drawing his sword with an angered face. The rest of the tavern is silent as the trio is surrounded by the armed men, the only thing Roxas hearing is the sound of his scared heart beating loudly. The blond counted at least twenty of them on his way in, but now as he’s sitting trapped in a booth with them all staring at him like he was dinner, he feels like there’s hundreds of them.

The scar-faced man barks out a laugh at Riku. “Come on now, ya fool. Ya can’t possible stand a chance against us.” He taunts.

Roxas finds himself mentally agreeing, sneaking a glance at Axel who pulls his hands above the table ever so slightly to show his bonds. The Prince swallows, his eyes darting to the ropes and then back up to Axel’s eyes.

Then Riku speaks, his voice low. “Don’t underestimate me.” He threatens, his gaze narrowing with his blade held in front of him.

Another one of the men speaks up. “Aye! Just sit the fuck down and hand us the Prince, and we’ll let you filthy lot leave with your heads.” He growls out at them.

Roxas’ heart is beating frantically against his chest, his breathing unsteady. There’s no chance of them being able to fight their way out of here, even if he did free Axel because they’d still be substantially outnumbered. Plus, these men are nearly twice the size of Roxas himself.

He looks to the bags next to Axel, seeing that one of them is opened slightly. Then his eyes widen and he looks to the redhead with a pointed gaze. The man’s jaw tenses, then the redhead glances back at the bags and then his gaze rests on Roxas again. The blond parts his lips ever so slightly, mouthing a word to him and praying he understands. Axel’s eyes narrow slightly, then Roxas turns his head towards Riku as the knight speaks.

“No thanks. I’ll kill every last one of you or die trying first.” Riku says coldly.

One of the men growls lowly and then charges at Riku. Roxas feels his body moving one its own accord, jumping up and yelling for them to stop. Both men pause, then all eyes turn on Roxas and he raises his chin, trying to feign confidence as he steps out of the bench with unsteady legs and then stands in front of the table slowly.

He takes a small breath, parting his lips. “Stand down Riku.” He orders quietly.

The knight’s eyes widen in shock. “What? Roxas, you know I cannot-“

“ _At once_.” Roxas bites out, placing his arms behind his back.

Riku stares at him with utter disbelief, his eyes fearful. “What are you doing?” He asks quietly.

Roxas just swallows thickly, his stance unmoving and then one of the men speaks up again. “If your prissy ass doesn’t start movin’ in three fuckin’ seconds, we’ll kill ya and steal that blond Prince either way.” He threatens the knight with a drunken slur, waving his axe around.

The Prince thinks Riku won’t obey his command and try to fight anyway, until the knight looks down in shame and steps backward, standing next to Roxas.

“Sheathe your blade.” Roxas commands quietly.

He sees the way Riku tenses up again, but the knight does as he’s told, putting his sword away and not meeting the Prince’s gaze.

Roxas pauses, pursing his lips before he looks up to the men. “I have one question before you take me.” He says lowly.

The scarred man raises narrows his eyes thoughtfully. “What is it?”

“Do you know who I am?” Roxas asks softly.

The brute raises an eyebrow at him, his mouth curling into a sneer. “If my hearing was correct, it’d be Prince Roxas.” He replies boredly.

“That’s right,” The blond responds, nodding. “My name is Prince Roxas, of Destiny Islands.” He explains, his voice getting a little louder in confidence as he looks at all of the thugs around him with an icy expression.

Some of the men’s eyes widen, and one of them speaks out. “Aye, you’re a son of King Ansem!?” He asks in disbelief.

“That’s correct,” Roxas says, his voice even louder now. “And I want you all to know that. I’m here because your King kidnapped my brother, Prince Sora.”

“Who the fuck cares, somebody bind him.” One of the men calls uninterestedly.

“ _You will do no such thing_.” Roxas orders with a malice in his voice he didn’t realize he possessed until now. “I’ve come to Eclipsis to take my brother back, and I’m not about to let you stand in my way!” He calls out, his voice loud and clear throughout the tavern.

As the men’s expressions turn hostile again, Roxas pulls his arms from behind him, holding the thunder tome Axel passed him from behind to his chest before he raises his arms. “Riku, eyes!” He says before reciting a spell in the Ancient Tongue.

The knight shields his eyes with his hand as a flash of yellow-white glows from Roxas’ hand. The Prince closes his eyes as he finishes the spell, the lighting flash engulfing the room in a blinding white light. He hears the men cry out in surprise around him including Axel, and then opens his eyes after the flash fades. He sees the men around them have all fallen to the ground, crying out that they can’t see and holding their hands to their eyes. Roxas looks to Riku as the knight lowers his hand slowly, blinking at Roxas and then the other men around them. They share a quick nod and the knight grabs their bags and Axel’s rope, tugging the man up quickly and whispering at him to hurry up.

Roxas weaves his way around the men quietly, reaching the door quickly and unlocking it as silently as he can. Unfortunately, there’s still a loud noise as he unlatches the metal, but the men are still stunned and unable to come after them thankfully. He sees Riku approaching with the disoriented redhead trying his best to follow behind, the man blinking furiously as he tries to see anything around him.

They run into the rainy night once again, this time just trying to get as far away from the tavern as possible. Roxas is panting heavily as he leads, not having the slightest of ideas where he’s going but his adrenaline is still at its peak, his heart beating steadily in his chest as he races down the quiet streets. After he’s certain they’re a far enough distance, he takes shelter around a corner beneath the roof of a building and leans against the stone wall to support himself. The other two pant heavily next to him, the three of them trying to catch their breaths.

“What did you _do_ to me?” Axel finally says, trying to rub at his eyes.

Roxas pants quietly, hearing the slight fear in the man’s voice. He reaches for the rope dangling from Axel’s wrists, pulling his hands away from his face. “Don’t irritate your eyes more. You’ll be fine.” He says shakily, still trying to steady his breathing.

“Oh, will I? Sorry if I seemed worried, but I’m currently _blind._ ” Axel retorts, a serious anger in his voice.

It takes Roxas aback for a second, staring at the redhead in disbelief even though the man can’t see him. Then his eyebrows furrow and he glares at the redhead. “You should be sorry. I wouldn’t have had to blind you if it wasn’t for your stupid mistake!” He growls out.

Axel says nothing else, gritting his teeth and breathing quietly. Roxas continues to leer at the man with hostility, wishing he could actually see it.

Then, Riku speaks up quietly. “We should keep moving. There’s got to be an inn around here somewhere.”

The Prince finally looks down at the ground, feeling himself huff quietly again before noticing a slight haze start to cloud his mind. He swallows, willing himself to not worry about it and nods at Riku. The knight gives a gentle tug on Axel’s ropes, signalling for the man to follow them.

Roxas isn’t sure how long they’ve been running around for, but the longer they’re outside the more his head starts to feel dizzy. He’s not sure why, because he’s been feeling fine all day just until that man in the tavern came over to their table and-

His eyes widen in slight shock and he curses slightly, recalling the thug’s warning of chugging the drink.

“R-riku!” He calls, trying to overpower his dizziness as he runs.

The knight turns back to him. “I see a few lanterns up ahead, I think it’s an inn!” He says encouragingly.

Roxas bites his tongue and forces himself to stick it out, even though he’s soaked from the rain and his lungs are on fire and he’s pretty sure he’s _drunk_ from that stupid drink Axel ordered them. Shortly they arrive in front of the building, and this time Roxas has to rest his hands on his knees, panting heavily and feeling the world spin around him.

He doesn’t give Riku the opportunity to ask him questions, reaching for the pouch in his pocket that Cloud gave him and handing it to the knight. “Get two rooms if you can.” He huffs out, wishing he had some water right now.

The silver-haired teen nods, entering the building swiftly and approaching the desk. Roxas continues to pant like a dog, feeling like he’s not getting enough air into his lungs. Then he closes his eyes and it’s a very bad decision because he stumbles on his feet, trying not to lose his balance and fall over.

Axel notices his movement, the stunned redhead turning to the sound of his actions. “What are you doing?” He asks curiously.

“N-none of your business.” The blond bites out, trying to cling onto his sobriety as much as he can.

He must sound pretty convincing because Axel doesn’t say anything else in response, then Riku exits the inn again, holding two keys in his hand.

He looks to Roxas with an exhausted expression. “I got two rooms, but they each have only one bed. He’ll stay with me tonight.” He says, eyes becoming colder at the end of his sentence as he glances at Axel.

“No.” The Prince counters abruptly. Riku’s eyes meet his with a confused expression, and even Axel has an eyebrow raised at him even though he’s still unable to see.

Roxas fumbles for an explanation, not expecting his inebriated mind to have interjected so hastily without reason. “I should monitor his condition and m-make sure the magic doesn’t leave him permanently visionless.” He explains quietly. He had never heard of anyone going permanently blind, but they didn’t need to know that.

“ _Permanently?_ ” Axel cries in disbelief.

Riku’s eyes hold his for a moment before he nods curtly, ignoring the redhead. “Of course, Prince Roxas. Come, let’s go to our rooms then.” He says, turning around to hold the door open for them.

Roxas is thankful there’s only a few lanterns in the room, not wanting to see any bright lights. The inn is fairly small but quaint, the small lobby decorated with a large rug and various lounge furniture. The three of them walk by quietly, not saying anything to the half-asleep attendant at the desk as they ascend the wooden stairs. The blond nearly stumbles but makes it to the top successfully and then Riku has the key into the door of the room, opening it and ushering him inside.

He walks into the small room, taking in the double bed with a small table next to it, a chair in the corner of the room and light decorations about. Roxas hears Riku speaking quietly to Axel in the doorway, but he can get the gist of what the knight is saying, the threatening tone in his voice very apparent.

When Riku bids a goodnight to Roxas, he tells the Prince that he’ll come wake them up in the morning. He grabs one of the bags with some spare clothes, taking an outfit and nodding goodbye to the Prince. Roxas nods and once the door closes, it’s only then Roxas realizes this probably wasn’t his brightest idea.

Then Axel walks towards him slowly, leaning against the wall for support as he makes his way over. “What exactly did you mean back there!? I thought you said I’ll be fine!” He asks in a panic.

“Look, I’ve never even seen someone go blind from a flash like that.” He says, which isn’t a lie in itself. “By tomorrow morning, you’ll have your vision completely back.” The blond explains, his voice calm.

Axel lets out a long exhale, fully leaning against the wall and pausing. Then, his face becomes calm and he nods once. “Alright, if you say so.” He responds quietly, his tone sounding genuine.

There’s a silence between them before Axel speaks up again. “So, about these ropes.” He starts, holding his wrists up.

Roxas immediately shakes his head side to side, but then remembers that the redhead can’t actually see him. It makes him flush slightly in embarrassment. “No.” He responds quietly.

Axel lets out a gruntled noise. “Come on, just for a few minutes, so I can get out of these wet clothes.” He pleads.

The Prince stares at Axel plainly, trying to decide if it would be a good idea. If Riku somehow found out… the knight would definitely try to skin the redhead like a cat. Plus he wouldn’t be too thrilled with Roxas either…

But then Axel speaks up again before he can finish his thoughts, a taunting tone present in the man’s voice. “That is, unless _you’d_ like to undress me, Prince Roxas?” He purrs out.

The older man’s words make the blond’s eyes widen in surprise, followed by a slightly drunken mental image of undressing Axel blossoming from somewhere in his mind. An embarrassed warmth comes to his cheeks and he knows if he was standing in front of a mirror, his face would be rosy red. The thought alone makes him feel even more embarrassed.

“In your dreams!” He retorts fiercely, which isn’t the best thing he could have said in response as he stomps towards the small bathing room and closes the door. He hears Axel chuckling from behind it faintly and then presses his back against the wood, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. He’s seriously wondering why his drunk stupor caused him to volunteer watching the redhead tonight. It would have been much less of a hassle to be on his own.

The blond exhales quietly and gets to work on undressing himself, doing his best to wring out the excess water from his clothes. When he’s done, he hangs them over the small wooden tub to air out, then reaches for a small towel to dry himself.

After he’s satisfied, he turns to grab some new clothes, but then he pauses when he realizes he didn’t take any dry clothes from their bags. Roxas grits his teeth, then walks towards the door and opens it slightly. Axel is still leaning against the wall, a small puddle of water collecting at his feet as his clothes drip.

“Turn around.” Roxas says to him, refusing to open the door further.

Axel’s expression because slightly confused, before he smirks in realization. “Aw, someone’s shy?” He teases.

“Just do it.” The blond growls out, narrowing his eyes.

“You know I’m still sightless, right?” Axel asks, but turns around anyway and faces away from the blond. Roxas says nothing else, not liking the idea of Axel’s eyes in the direction of his cloth-less body even if he is still blind, and scurries out of the bathing room, grabbing an old shirt and pants from the bag and throwing them on hastily.

“Okay, you can turn back around now.” Roxas says once he’s dressed again, then when Axel’s slightly clouded green eyes make contact with his across the room, he wonders for a split second if the redhead’s vision is coming back already. But as Roxas watches him further, he sees Axel’s gaze un-focusing, and feels his legs step towards him silently.

When he’s a few feet in front of Axel he speaks quietly, startling the blinded man. “I’ll take your ropes off, but just for a little bit.” He offers, not meeting his eyes up close even though Axel can’t see him.

The redhead lets out a sigh of relief, holding out his arms. “Oh thank the Gods. My arms are so stiff.” He complains.

Again Roxas feels the slightest pangs of guilt at his words, reaching for the thick knots that Riku tied around the man’s wrists tightly. “I’m only letting you do it because you can’t see.” The blond states as seriously as he can.

Axel lets out a small breath of amusement, causing the Prince to look up at him and his eyes without thinking. His movements halt just for a moment, sincerely intrigued by how striking Axel’s eyes are up close. Even with the slight cloudy layer over them, the emerald intensity of them glimmers through.

“Stuck on a knot?” The redhead asks curiously, noticing Roxas’ lack of movement. The Prince’s eyes dart to his lips as they move gently, then he looks into Axel’s eyes again.

Roxas blinks, catching himself quickly as his heart flutters like the times he spoke with Axel during the Celebration. “Uh, yes.” He says a little too loudly.

Axel purses his lips, unsure of what is going on with the blond but says nothing as Roxas continues to untie the bonds. He refuses to look at the redhead as he attempts to work as fast as possible. Eventually he’s loosened the ropes enough so that he can pull the loops off of Axel’s wrist. As he does so, sliding the ropes down the redhead’s hands, a couple of Axel’s fingers twitch as their skin touches, the digit stroking across Roxas’ palm and the blond’s breath hitches at the simple contact.

He drops the rope to the ground and steps back to get as far away from Axel as possible, his heart thumping in his chest. He wanted to curse; to yell at himself for reacting the way he is. This is not the kind of person he should be getting flustered around.

Axel lets out a noise of relief, rolling out his shoulders slowly and bending his arms. “Man, I did not realize how awful that would be.” He says, wincing as some of his muscles are strained.

Roxas sits on the bed, staring at the man without thinking again and then tenses his jaw when he catches himself. “Well maybe you should have made better life decisions and you wouldn’t have been here in the first place.” He bites out more harshly than intended.

The redhead chuckles lowly. “It’s easy for a Prince to say that.” He responds knowingly.

Roxas narrows his eyes, feeling a slight sting in his chest at Axel’s words. “I’m done talking to you.” He states, moving to lay down on the bed.

“Could ya get me some clean clothes at least?” The redhead asks, working to untie his cape. Roxas hears it plop to the ground with a wet sound and holds back an annoyed sound.

“No.” The blond says, laying on top of the blankets with his back to Axel.

The redhead makes a noise of protest. “Why not?”

Roxas lays his head against one of the pillows, rubbing his cheek into the soft fabric. While this might not have been anywhere close to the way he lives at the castle, it’s not as bad as he expected it to be. He hears another sound of wet clothing hitting the ground.

“Cause I don’t want to.” The blond responds simply.

“Seriously? That’s it?” Axel asks with an unimpressed tone.

Roxas cracks a slight smile. “Yea, pretty much.” He responds with a slight tease.

It probably didn’t do him any favours, as Axel returned the playful tone right back to him. “Well, alright then.” He says. Roxas raises an eyebrow at the wall.

“I guess I’ll just sleep like this tonight.” Axel states. The Prince sits up and turns to him, confused by his words and then lets out a yelp at the sight of the redhead completely naked. His face warms up tenfold this time, grabbing a pillow to whip at the man while his other covers his eyes, scurrying to the bags to grab him clothes.

Axel just barks out laughter, flinching a little when the pillow hits him. “I had a feeling that would work.”

The Prince feels a scowl come to his face as he grabs the clothes, keeping his gaze away from Axel’s general direction as he walks towards the man. When he hears Axel chuckle slightly again, he stares at the redhead with an embarrassed anger, thrusting his arm out to punch him in the stomach.

Axel doubles over, holding his side. “Roxas, you can’t just punch a blind guy.” He groans.

“Watch me,” The blond bites out and pauses for a moment. “Actually, wait you can’t.” He adds.

Axel laughs genuinely, the rich sound making Roxas freeze again before he passes the clothes to the man and orders him to put them on. Then he stalks to the bed again, nestling himself in the blankets and planning to ignore the redhead and the fluttering feeling in his chest.

“I think I like you, Roxas.” Axel says, still chuckling a little bit. Roxas isn’t sure if he’s being sarcastic or not, but closes his eyes and hears Axel slowly make his way to the bathing room. He wants to use this time alone to slap himself in the face and get it together. Being slightly drunk right now isn’t an excuse to accidently make an ass of himself or show any kind of weakness to Axel.

The redhead returns a few minutes later and then a sudden thought pops into Roxas’ head and he sits up, staring at Axel. The older man pauses at the sound and then Roxas speaks up.

“Why were you going through our stuff this morning?” He asks, remembering that he never got a truthful explanation.

Axel turns to the sound of the blond’s voice and pauses for a moment before cracking the slightest of smiles. “I told you; something to cut the ropes.”

Roxas narrows his eyes. “You might fool Riku, but not me. You already went through our stuff earlier and found the dagger. Why not do it then?”

The redhead is silent for a second more, then looks down and lets out a breath of amusement. “My, my, you’re a sharp one.” He comments.

“I didn’t ask for your compliments. I asked for the truth.” Roxas says seriously.

Axel sighs in defeat, accepting the Prince’s stubbornness. “I was looking for another mango.” He admits, crossing his arms.

The blond’s eyes narrow even more in suspicion, but he sees no indication of dishonesty from Axel. Then he has to look away, closing his eyes and trying not to laugh but a chuckle or two slips out.

“See, that’s why I lied.” Axel says, pointing at the Prince and giving him an unimpressed look.

Roxas shakes his head lightly before laying down again. “It doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t give you one either way.”

“So there really is no more huh?” Axel asks, leaning against the wall and tilting his chin up.

Roxas stares out the small window across the room, hearing the faint sounds of rain outside. He’s pretty sure there’s one or two left, unless Riku ate them.

“Maybe. I don’t know. They’re not for you though.” The Prince responds simply, closing his eyes and beginning to drift off. He hears Axel walk into the bathing room again and lets out a long breath. His body is already beginning to give into sleep, every ounce of his being asking for rest. Roxas yawns loudly before he drifts off, not feeling as scared as he thought he would be considering they almost got killed and kidnapped within an hour of arriving to Eclipsis.

He falls into a deep slumber fairly quickly. Roxas never usually remembers any of his dreams the second he wakes up, but tonight is different on a completely other level and he’s fairly certain he won’t forget this one. It’s hazy, like most of his dreams are, but the second he enters the mental illusion he feels his body respond to the environment like electricity is shooting under his skin. It makes him hot, in fact _really_ hot.

He swallows thickly, his throat feeling dry and tight. The next thing Roxas knows a warm, tight feeling begins to build in his groin. He’s unable to control the feeling, and it makes his body crave for some kind of release. His breathing is shaky, his chest feeling tight as it rises and falls shallowly. He has no control over his movement, his body staying absolutely still. The warm feeling is so addictive, yet as it builds it almost becomes torturous.

Eventually he’s a panting mess, his lungs feeling like they’re on fire and begging for air and he curls his toes tightly, his head feeling hazy in his dream and almost euphoric. The need for release is at its peak, Roxas’ body begging for it in his flustered state.

But it never comes. He’s left with a painfully turned on feeling, being so close to the edge but never actually being able to fall off. In the haze of his cloudy dreams, he hears a deep laughing in the distance, but isn’t sure where it’s coming from or who it is.

Eventually Roxas pulls himself from his unconscious state slowly, blinking as the morning sun shines on his face. He becomes very aware that his body is still, _excited_ for a lack of a better word and sits up sharply, holding the blankets tight.

He nearly jumps a mile in the air when he hears shuffling next to him. He sees Axel laying on the other side of the bed, stirring from his own sleep. Roxas lets out a surprised noise, realizing he forgot to tie Axel up again and uses all his force to shove the redhead off of the bed. Axel rolls over and lands on the ground with a loud thump, groaning after he makes contact with the floor.

“Alright, what was that all about?” Axel asks, his head raising from the ground to stare at Roxas with a tired and annoyed expression. Then he pauses for a moment, his eyes lighting up as he takes in their small room. “Hey, my eyesight is completely back!” The redhead exclaims.

The Prince can only gawk at the man with a flabbergasted expression before he attempts to formulate a sentence. “Are you- what!?” He tries, gritting his teeth. “Why did you sleep on the bed with me!?” Roxas hisses out.

“Whaddya mean? Was I supposed to sleep on the floor or something?” Axel asks uninterestedly, blinking slowly as he stares towards their small window and narrows his eyes at the bright sun shining through.

Roxas narrows his eyes at the man. “Why would you even think for a second that it would be okay for you to share a bed with me-“

But Axel cuts him off, rolling his eyes as he interjects, finally setting his gaze on Roxas. “Alright, I get it. I’m a mercenary. Deplorable. Vermin. Heard it all already.” He says sarcastically, lowering his head back down to the floor.

Roxas pulls his knees to his chest, frowning. In his head he denies that, because it’s really not the reason why he freaked out so much. Not that he would admit the real reason to Axel though, or even to himself for that matter.

But he doesn’t have time to dwell on it because suddenly there’s swift knocking at their door. Roxas’ eyes widen, remembering Riku saying he’d come around to wake them up in the morning. He gives Axel a nervous look then points to the bathing room, watching the redhead grab the ropes on the ground quickly and dash towards it, closing the door behind him quietly.

Roxas stands up from the bed, walking to the door and opening it to see Riku dressed and ready to go.

“Good morning Roxas,” the knight starts, before raising an eyebrow at the Prince. “Everything okay?” He asks skeptically.

Roxas swallows thickly, giving Riku a slight nod. “Good morning, and yes. I’m fine, why do you ask?” He says as casually as he can.

The knight holds his gaze for a moment. “It’s just…your face is a little red. Are you feeling okay?” He asks, tone shifting to one of concern.

Roxas takes a step back, shaking his head. “Oh, y-yes I’m fine. I just woke up so I’ll be out in a few minutes!” He stammers out, closing the door on Riku hastily before the knight can get in a response.

He turns back around, resting his hand on his face in defeat. A moment later the door to the bathing room opens slowly and Axel gives him a smug look, changed back into his clothes from yesterday which are completely dry now.

Roxas narrows his gaze at him, walking towards the redhead and pushing him back into the bathing room, following him in. He closes the door behind them and then looks to Axel, who has a confused expression on his face.

“Give me the rope.” The blond orders, holding his hand out.

Axel’s eyes fall and he exhales deeply, but he passes it to the blond wordlessly and then holds his fists together in front of Roxas for him to tie.

The blond feels an instinctual response of immorality, pausing before he starts tying the rope. It doesn’t feel right to tie Axel up like he’s an animal, even if he still an enemy in the Prince's eyes. In reality, was there even a need to keep Axel bound though? Having him tied up may attract unwanted attention towards them during their travel, and it’s not like Axel has really shown any signs of aggression of violence towards him or Riku. He closes his eyes as he thinks and then finally looks up to Axel and begins tying the ropes anyway. There's no way Riku would be on board with allowing Axel to have use of his hands.

When he’s done a thought pops into his head and he turns to walks out into the bedroom again, finding their bag and rustling through it. He hears Axel approach him behind, but the redhead says nothing.

Eventually, Roxas’ hands feel for what he wants and he removes one of the garments he packed. He unwraps it only to find a single mango left, then holds it and turns to Axel. He knows it's a consolation prize, but it will have to make due for now.

The redhead’s eyes light up as he sees the fruit, then his gaze meets Roxas’ as the Prince starts. “If you’re helpful today, and you don’t cause trouble again I’ll give you this.” He offers.

“So there was a mango left, after all.” Axel says knowingly.

Roxas’ stare doesn’t falter, his expression still serious as he waits for Axel to respond to his offer. The redhead stares at him for a few seconds longer, his mouth open like he’s going to protest before he nods. “You got yourself a deal.” He responds and holds out one his bound arms awkwardly, one of them open.

Roxas looks down at the man’s hand wearily, then meets Axel’s gaze and shakes his hand quickly. Roxas returns to the bathing room, dressing himself hastily to not make Riku wait further. When he’s ready and walks out, Axel is leaning against the wall with their bags and Riku stands in the room, holding a roll of paper.

“What’s that?” Roxas asks, nodding towards the parchment.

Riku begins pulling it open, holding it towards the Prince so he can see. “A detailed map of Eclipsis. I bribed one of the workers into getting it for me.” He says.

Roxas walks towards the knight, pausing at his side and glancing at the map to process all of the different towns and village names across it. Axel joins in on the other side, his eyes scanning the paper.

The knight points to a section of the map labelled Traverse Town in neat black ink. “There’s a main road that travels west of here towards the castle.” He says, his finger smoothing across the paper gently. Roxas nods as his eyes follow, then he hears Axel speak up.

“That road will be littered with mercenaries and bandits alike. It wouldn’t be the wisest choice.” Axel murmurs, his voice free of any taunting or teasing. Roxas’ gaze flickers up to his and their eyes meet for a second before Riku responds.

“And what would your course of action be then?” The knight asks with a bite in his tone.

Axel raises his bound hands, ignoring Riku’s attitude and pointing a finger slightly north of the map. “If we take one of the smaller northern exits, we can round out west and stay hidden in the forests. Plus, I know there’s a stable around this lake here if you want to buy horses.” He says, pointing to the body of water outlined on the map.

Roxas has no problems with the plan, wanting to avoid all conflict as much as possible. Last night was intense enough on its own and he doesn’t want to imagine it happening again.

“There’s hardly any towns around these northern areas.” Riku says skeptically.

“That’s why it makes a good route for you. Less chance of being discovered.” Axel retorts.

The knight huffs slightly. “And where will we sleep at night?” He asks.

Axel rolls his eyes, his tone becoming slightly annoyed. “I think you can handle sleeping on the ground a night or two.”

Riku snorts, rolling his eyes back at the redhead. “You’re an imbecile if you think I’d let Roxas sleep on the ground. He’s a _Prince_.” The knight emphasizes.

Roxas looks between the two, feeling himself becoming quickly agitated with the men’s behaviour.

“Well, if little Prince Roxas can’t handle sleeping on the ground, this journey is going to be short-lived.” Axel responds.

The blond’s eyebrow twitches slightly at Axel’s mocking tone, wondering if the man already forgot about their deal. The redhead seems to notice his demeanor change and lets out a sigh, looking away in resignation. Riku glares at Axel for a moment before he turns to Roxas. “Ultimately, it’s your call Prince Roxas.” He says, his voice returning to its normal tone.

The blond stares at the map a little longer, before he looks at Riku. “I think it’s safest if we stay away from busy paths.” He reasons.

The knight nods curtly. “Of course. Let’s head out then.” He says, closing the map and stuffing it into one of the bags Axel is carrying. Roxas watches Riku pull his hood up to shield his face as much as possible and walks out of the room stiffly, the knight immediately pacing towards the stairs.

He feels himself rolling his eyes slightly. Riku is an awfully prideful person, so it’s not hard for Roxas to conclude that the knight is feeling bothered by the fact that the blond chose Axel’s plan over his. Really though, it’s petty for Riku to behave in such a way, Roxas thinks to himself as he pulls his hood up and starts to follow behind. It isn’t a favourites game, it’s a plan to keep them out of danger.

Roxas turns around when Axel calls to him from behind quietly, raising an eyebrow in question.

“Could ya pull my hood up for me?” The redhead asks.

The blond huffs quietly, almost instinctively wanting to tell him no and to shut up, but he knows Axel’s hair is like a bright red target for them. Roxas looks down as he approaches, pursing his lips tightly. He reaches his hands up on either side of Axel’s head and forces himself not to make eye contact with the redhead as he pulls the hood up gently. A couple of Axel’s red spikes stick out despite his hair being tied back, and without thinking the blond reaches a hand back up to brush them under the hood. When his mind processes his actions, he freezes for a second and meets Axel’s eyes in panic.

But the redhead is unbothered by the Prince’s actions, simply giving him a teasing smile and a quick wink. “Thanks.” He murmurs, walking around him to follow after Riku down the hallway.

Roxas blinks a couple of times at the area Axel just stood in before shaking his head back and forth and starting to walk towards the other two. The Prince keeps his head low as he walks towards the exit of the inn, wondering what the streets of Traverse Town will be like now that it’s daytime.

It’s much more civil than he expected. With the way Axel and Cid spoke of Eclipsis, he almost expected to see the town in ruins. In his mind, buildings were old and falling apart, children were wandering the streets without parents and people were sad-looking and struggling to make a living.

As he steps out of the inn though, it’s not like the way he imagined. Sure, some of the buildings look a little worn, but all of them are fully in tact and look sturdy, the architecture looking a bit foreign to the blond. The streets are busy with people, and Roxas notices that a lot of them wear tattered clothes and are shoeless, their feet calloused from walking along the paths in the town. They don’t look particularly sad though. If anything they look suspicious, most people’s eyes glancing around them as they walk about. Roxas wonders if it’s because people are worried about crime in the daytime too.

But he doesn’t see any mercenaries or bandits like they did last night as they continue to walk towards the northern part of town. Roxas is incredibly grateful for that, hoping to avoid any kind of confrontation during the rest of their time in Traverse Town.

The trio continues to make their way through the town, Riku leading and Roxas walking behind Axel to make sure he can keep his eyes on the redhead. He doesn’t know if Axel would try and make a break for it, but considering they’re in a busy environment it would make a good opportunity for them. Plus, neither Riku nor Roxas are holding Axel’s rope, so he could dash off without much resistance if he wanted to.

The paranoid thoughts make the Prince’s eyes narrow at the back of Axel’s head. He opens his mouth to tell the redhead to pass him his rope before they round a corner and see a group of children kicking around a ball in the streets. The blond thinks that they must be getting close to the exit, because there’s a lot less people around this part of town.

Roxas’ eyes scan over the children, their clothing old and dirty, and hair unwashed. All of them are shoeless and lot of them are thin, in fact really thin. Too thin for the Prince’s comfort, and suddenly he feels his feet move automatically towards the children, ignoring Riku’s hisses of his name as the knight notices him wandering. The children notice him too, and their actions halt, eyes wide with fear and some of them start to run away.

Roxas holds his arm out, opening his mouth to try and tell them he’s not going to hurt them. The blond pauses though when he sees where some of the children are running towards, his eyes scanning over the chipped wooden sign than spells out ‘Orphanage’, hanging above a small, worn-out building.

The Prince’s breath hitches, thoughts whirling back to life on the Islands. He thinks to the many times Sora frequented their own orphanage, the brunet loving to spend his free time playing with the children and bringing them food. Then he starts imagining what it was like when Sora went to the orphanage the last time, and how scared he must have been when he was kidnapped. Without realizing, Roxas’ eyes begin blurring slightly and the blond curses quietly, lowering his head for a moment.

Then he feels Riku’s hand on his shoulder, the knight’s protests dying in his throat. He must realize what’s wrong, because the silver-haired teen’s hand tightens slightly. Roxas inhales deeply, swallowing once then turning to Axel. He walks towards the man without a word, Axel’s confused expression speaking for itself.

Roxas reaches into one of the bags the redhead is holding, rustling through his belongings before removing a loaf of bread. He sees the way Axel’s eyes widen slightly in realization, but the redhead continues to stay silent as Roxas turns back to the remaining children.

When they see the bread, their eyes focus in on it like a target and Roxas begins walking towards them slowly, breaking off pieces of the bread. One of the children, a small blond girl in a dress that was probably once white but is now covered in dirt and ripped, approaches him first. Her eyes are bright blue like Roxas’, and they look much more mature than they should for her age. It brings a pang of sadness into the blond’s chest, unable to suppress the thoughts of how cruel the world can be.

Roxas kneels down to her level once she’s in front of them, his gaze soft at the girl. Her arms are so thin, it makes the blond want to reach out and hug her close. He knows he can’t do that though, so he just holds out a piece of the bread to her without a word, watching a small smile come to her face as she accepts the food.

“Thank you,” she murmurs quietly.

Roxas can’t seem to find his voice, feeling so fragile in this moment. He’s pretty sure if he tries to speak he’ll choke up, so he simply nods to her, watching the girl turn to the other kids and motion for them to come forward. They run up to him quickly, and shortly enough he’s passed out the whole loaf to the kids, their eyes bright with happiness as they consume the food quickly.

The blond wants to go back to their bags and give them the rest of their food truthfully, but he knows it wouldn’t be wise to do that, considering they have a long trip ahead of them. He stands up and the children’s eyes stay on him, almost like they’re waiting for him to say something. He just can’t though and turns away, keeping his gaze down as he walks back towards Axel and Riku.

“Wait!” He hears from behind him. Roxas turns to stare at the kids, seeing that it was the blond girl who called to him. She runs towards Roxas quickly and hugs him tight, her head pressed against his stomach. She let’s go before the older blond can really process it, then runs back to the group of kids to resume playing with their ball.

This time, Roxas can’t stop the single tear that trails down his face as he stares at the children a moment longer before he turns back to the other two, and they resume walking towards the northern exit.


	7. Unforeseen Action

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, there's a bit of graphic violence in this chapter. I kept it pretty minimal but I still wanna warn anyway. Now excuse me while I spend all my free time possible playing KH III.

It’s not much longer that the three walk through Traverse Town before Roxas sees the edge of the town appear. As the buildings become fewer, a vast amount of green field surrounds them far beyond the eye can see. Far up ahead of them, Roxas can make out the dark green edges of forest, and can only assume that’s the one Axel was talking about when he recommended this route. The morning skies are clear, with few clouds rolling in wisps along it. The sun is warm; not quite in the way it is on the Islands, which could be unbearable as he experienced during the Celebration. It’s comfortable, even with Roxas dressed in his cloak.

Axel raises his bound arms towards the forest, nodding his head at it. “That’s the place. We head that way and stay within the clearing, we’ll have no problem reaching a stable within a couple hours.” He says.

Riku begins walking towards the forest without a response, so Roxas picks up the rope holding Axel and begins trailing along behind. The redhead falls in step with him, and Roxas almost wants to put some distance between them, but also doesn’t want Axel making a comment about it. Which he would probably do.

“Prince Roxas, if you need a break at any point, please give the order.” Riku says from in front of him, keeping his gaze forward.

The blond narrows his eyes slightly at the knight’s back, unsure if Riku is still annoyed with him or not. He decides to play along, keeping the bite out of his voice as he responds. “Thank you Riku, that’s kind of you. I won’t be needing one though.”

Roxas catches the small smirk from Axel in the corner of his eye and looks towards the field away from him, ignoring the urge to stare at the redhead. It’s starting to annoy him how he can’t seem to have control of his reactions to the redhead. The thought alone makes him scowl at sea of grass around them blowing gently in the wind.

The three remain in silence as they near the forest, the countless tall trees surrounded together tightly. Roxas can’t see through much of it past the first few metres, the land beyond disappearing quickly. It’s weird, but the Prince feels more anxious staring at the edge of the forest as it comes closer than he did when he saw Traverse Town from Cid’s ship. Maybe it’s because at least Traverse Town had some kind of civilization left to it, even if the town wasn’t in the best shape.

But this, well it was free from any kind of civilization. No buildings, no rooms, no beds. Nothing. Just trees upon trees and birds from the sounds of it, Roxas hearing the faint sound of chirping coming from within the wall of greenery. This forest looks much different from the ones he was used to on Destiny Islands.

For starters, the forests on the Islands were no where near this big. You could easily walk around them and come out on the other side within a half-hour. But the trees in those forests were half the size of the ones Roxas stands in front of now, craning his head upwards to stare at the tall, dark trunks. These forests contain none of the tropical plants the Islands do, simply just consisting of densely packed giant trees. They remind him of a story his mother used to read to Sora and himself as children about a boy who wandered in the woods and was taken in by a mother bear and her cub.

As a child it was a nice story, but Roxas feels a shiver go down his spine at the thought of running into a bear, or some kind of scary animal in real life. He wonders if it would be stupid to ask Axel if they might encounter one, picturing the redhead laughing at him mockingly and making a comment about him being a sheltered Prince.

The redhead must notice something is off because he quirks an eyebrow at Roxas. Catching himself, the blond looks away hastily before taking initiative and walking into the forest. He stays close to the clearing like Axel said, seeing as the edge of the forest rounded out to the stable he spoke of. Eventually Riku takes the lead again, so Roxas and Axel walk side-by-side.

After sometime of travelling, Roxas finds his initial fears about the forest die down rather quickly. There's no sign of any bandits for starters, which is a huge relief. There's also no bears, the only animals the Prince seeing being some small rats with furry tails that run around collecting things from the ground, and the occasional bird. As they walk Roxas feels his appetite pick up, realizing that he hasn’t eaten at all today and turns to Axel. He doesn’t acknowledge the redhead in any way, instead choosing to reach into one of the bags to search for some food. He removes the dried meat, taking some pieces and putting the rest away. Biting a small piece of one off, he glances at Axel for a split second before wondering when the last time he ate was.

With a quick sigh the Prince holds a couple pieces out to him in a silent offering, watching the redhead awkwardly accept it and begin munching on it.

“You know this reminds me,” Axel starts, swallowing down the meat. “Can either of you hunt?” He asks, chewing on another bite.

Neither Roxas nor Riku say anything in response, causing the redhead to let out a groan. “Oh come on, you thought this food would last the entire trip?” He continues, tone unimpressed.

Again, neither teens say anything in response and Roxas starts to grit his teeth. Axel has a point, but he still doesn’t like the way he says it. “Do you remember where we came from? Did it look like a place that frequents hunting?” He retorts.

Axel rolls his eyes. “Well it’s not like I expected _you_ to know, but I would have at least thought the knight would.” He says.

The blond full out glares at the redhead, feeling like that hit him harder than intended. “I think you’ll walk alongside us when we get horses.” He declares, watching Axel’s expression become surprised.

“Allow me to ease your concern, mercenary.” Riku interrupts. “I can hunt.” He finishes, turning his head to glare at Axel for a moment before saying nothing else and continuing to lead. The redhead rolls his eyes, clearly not impressed by the knight’s tone and the three fall silent again.

Walking among the treeline is nice, because it provides the three with shade as they travel. Roxas feels the back of his neck getting hotter as the morning progresses though, so he lowers his hood to get some air on it and instinctively runs his hand through his hair. He gets a weird feeling and quickly glances at Axel, just catching the slight jerk of the older man’s head as he turns to look in the opposite direction. The blond quirks his mouth downward, almost asking what the redhead was doing but instead keeps his mouth shut.

After what feels like a couple hours, Riku lets out a noise of triumph, pointing towards the clearing of the forest. “There! That must be it.” The knight says.

Roxas squints at where the silver-haired teen is pointing, seeing a small barn and fenced off area in the distance. It did look to be a small stable at the very least, and there’s a large lake nearby that Axel spoke of earlier as well. He spares a quick glance at the redhead, seeing the older man nod once in agreeance. Once they’re close enough to fully see the stable from the forest, Riku pauses and turns to them.

“I’ll go check it out, buy the horses and come get you when I’m ready.” He says.

Axel gives him an amused look. “I don’t think there’s much to be paranoid about here. It’s just a stable.” The redhead says,

Riku ignores him, glancing at the blond. “Prince Roxas?” He asks, seeking approval.

Roxas nods. “Yes Riku, please do.” He says, reaching to pass the knight his pouch of gold that Cloud gave him. The knight gives him a half smile before turning to walk towards the stable.

“Man, he really needs to loosen up. Takes himself way too seriously.” Axel says after Riku is out of earshot.

As Roxas stares at the knight’s retreating form, he can’t help but somewhat agree with the redhead. Still, he shakes his head and tells Axel to shut up. A moment later he reaches into the bags Axel is carrying again, removing the last mango and has to suppress the smile that threatens to bloom along his lips as Axel visibly lights up when he sees it.

“I know I said I’d give this to you later, but I’m actually surprised with your compliance so far.” The Prince says.

Axel’s mouth quirks upward slightly. “Not like you’ve given me much of a choice, have you?” He asks slyly.

The way he says it sends a spark up the blond’s spine and he glances down, pulling out his small knife to carve into the mango. “No.” He huffs out, refusing to look at Axel again.

But then he thinks about it more and feels himself frowning as he finishes cutting the first half, inverting the fruit and passes it to the redhead. “Why _haven’t_ you tried to run yet?” He asks.

Axel accepts the fruit, but pauses after he hears the question and stares at Roxas seriously for a moment. Seeing his emerald eyes stare into his own so intently holds him in place, like Axel is silently commanding him to keep his gaze on him.

Then, Axel opens his mouth, his voice almost purring. “I haven’t had the perfect opportunity.” He responds tauntingly, taking a bite of one of the mango cubes.

The glass is immediately shattered and Roxas clenches his jaw, lunging at the redhead to smack the fruit out of his hand. Axel must have anticipated the action because he ducks out of the way quickly, chuckling a little bit as he chews the fruit.

“Oh come on, it was just a joke Roxas!” The redhead jests, giving him a lopsided smirk.

The Prince still feels heated, clenching his jaw and glaring hotly at Axel. What a smug idiot, he thinks to himself as the older man continues to eat his fruit, clearly content with himself right now.

“Anyway, you’d chase me down and zap me with one of those spell books, or get your knight to chase me down if I tried to run. And he’d probably take pleasure in maiming me.” Axel continues.

The thought brings a small smirk to his face and the Prince chuckles lightly, nodding a bit and looking down. “Hm, yea you have a point there.” He agrees, his gaze softening at the ground. He gets to work slicing the other half of the mango and then Riku returns a moment later, the knight looking unimpressed.

“They have no horses for sale at the moment.” The teen states, glaring towards Axel.

The redhead pauses, swallowing his piece of fruit. “And that’s somehow my fault?” He asks skeptically.

“You were the one who recommended this route and look where its gotten us.” Riku answers harshly. “Was this your plan all along? Lead us off track so you can somehow make a break for it?”

Axel rolls his eyes, shaking his head back and forth as he releases an aggravated sigh. “You know, you’re giving me too much credit. I don’t care enough to lead you off track.” He responds uninterestedly, taking another bite of his mango half. The fruit is finished now, and the redhead drops the skin to the ground, swallowing his mouthful then turning around.

“Anyhow, I’ll be back. I need to take a leak.” Axel says, walking a few paces away.

The knight bristles up and Roxas wonders if he’ll chase him down. Riku simply glares at the man as he stops to relieve himself, fiddling with his clothes despite his bound arms. The knight seems to accept the redhead’s actions before turning to Roxas with a pointed gaze.

“That man is not someone to be amicable with Roxas.” Riku warns with an edge to his tone.

The accusation makes the Prince’s head whip towards Riku quickly, immediately stacking his walls up. The older teen stares at him hard, his eyes icy and disapproving. The way he said it reminds Roxas of how his father speaks to him, and it makes him clench his fist at his side tightly.

“I’m well aware of that Riku.” The Prince responds, unable to hide the slight hostility in his voice.

Riku catches it too, blinking in surprise before his eyebrows furrow. “I meant no offense my Prince, it’s just-“

“And none was taken.” The blond interrupts, leering at the knight. Riku pauses with his mouth open, taking the hint and closing it abruptly with a nod. Roxas can tell he’s not very pleased, but Riku is dutiful to a fault and doesn’t say anything further on the matter as they wait for Axel to return.

When he does, the redhead looks between the two teens and raises an eyebrow, sensing some of the tension. Roxas sees the way Riku goes stiff again and it bugs him this time, noticing how the knight’s eyes are full of judgement and hostility.

Maybe it’s because Riku has been giving him a hard time, or maybe it’s because Roxas doesn’t like the way the knight acts towards Axel, but either way the Prince finds himself holding out the other half of the fruit to Axel purposely in front of Riku. He can’t deny that seeing the knight’s gaze narrow at the mango is a little amusing, and even more so when Axel accepts the fruit and takes a bite of it. Riku forces himself to look away, taking his map out again and studying it in silence.

“So what’s the plan now?” Axel asks with a mouthful of mango.

Riku doesn’t say anything for a moment, making Roxas wonder if he’s going to have to be the one asking questions. That is until the knight finally speaks.

“We’ve already lost too much time on this route, but we can’t waste more time searching for another.” Riku muses, eyes darting across the map. Roxas steps closer to him to scan it as well.

“There’s a village here,” The blond says, pointing to it on the map. “And it doesn’t look too far from here. Perhaps we’ll have better luck there.”

“That’s what I was thinking as well.” Riku hums, staring at the map thoughtfully. “Mercenary, what can you tell us about the Village of Dusks?”

“Not much, I haven’t travelled there before.” Axel says, taking another bite of his fruit. “But it’s pretty close to that main path I told you to avoid, so there’s a chance we’d run into some questionable characters.”

“I’m starting to think it’s inevitable that we’ll run into ‘questionable characters’.” Riku mutters. Roxas can only purse his lips and agree mentally.

“Bingo.” Axel says, tossing the skin of the finished mango to the side. “Last night you were lucky to avoid a fight. I promise that won’t happen again in the future.” He says, voice serious.

It sends a slight chill down Roxas’ back, not liking the idea of having to fight anyone. He knows it’s stupid and naïve, considering that he wouldn’t be able to get Sora back by simply asking nicely, but the thought of fighting and potentially killing doesn’t sit well with him.

“That won’t be a problem.” Riku counters, closing the map and folding it away. “Let’s start moving again, it’s nearly midday already.” He declares.

“I want to stop at that lake first.” Roxas says, nodding towards the body of water near the stable. “We should replenish our water supply while we’re here.” He says.

Axel gives him a questioning glance. “If you want water, we should find a river. It’s not wise to drink from still water, it can make you sick.” He explains.

“Oh.” Is all Roxas says, looking to the ground.

Axel hums thoughtfully. “If memory serves right, Oathkeeper’s River is northwest of this area. It travels west through these forests too, so we could continue along it for sometime.” He suggests.

Riku purses his lips and Roxas gives him a questioning glance. “He’s right, I just saw it on the map.” The knight mutters.

The blond looks upward as he thinks, raising a hand to his mouth. “That would probably be the safest route, and we’d be near fresh water at all times. But we probably won’t obtain horses for days…” He ponders aloud. The other two say nothing as the Prince falls silent, trying to decide which option would be better.

Eventually he looks town again and nods. “We stay by the river. I don’t want another repeat of last night happening.” The blond declares.

Riku nods, not actually seeming upset by the plan and immediately starts walking again, taking the lead. “Okay, let’s get going. We’ve wasted enough time.” The knight says to them from ahead.

Roxas can’t help but agree as he jogs lightly to catch up with the knight.

* * *

 

They manage to locate Oathkeeper’s River easy enough, the wide river containing such clear water Roxas can see straight through it to the various rocks and occasional fish among it. It’s really quite beautiful, and the sounds of water constantly flowing by is kind of therapeutic. They spend a few more hours of walking through the heart of the thick, dense forests before Riku suggests they stop to set up camp for the night. The sun is still above them atop the trees, but within a couple hours it would be dark so Roxas has no quarrels with Riku’s proposal.

They decide to pick an area in the forest that is some distance from the river, Riku saying it would be best that they stay away from noisy areas in case someone tried to sneak up on them. Roxas thinks its kind of overprotective considering there hasn’t been a single soul out here in the forest, but doesn’t feel like protesting. He just wants to sit down and rest his sore legs.

Axel immediately shrugs the bags off his shoulders and onto the ground, rolling out his shoulders. Roxas purses his lips, hoping the redhead doesn’t destroy his tomes with the way he carelessly treats them.

“We’ll need some firewood.” Riku states, glancing around them and not seeing much. He frowns then glances towards Axel. “Start looking around here.” He orders icily.

The redhead rolls his eyes and begins walking around, choosing to not actually say something in response, which truly surprises Roxas. The blond leans against a tree to relieve some of his weight, then sighs when he sees Axel bent over in the distance, struggling to pick up wood with his bound arms.

“We should cut his ropes.” Roxas says quietly to Riku without thought. As soon as the words leave his mouth though, he instantly regrets it especially since the knight is now staring at him like he grew another head.

“Roxas, what is going on?” Riku asks him harshly. It’s loud enough that Axel glances towards them from where he is standing far away from still, holding some branches.

His question catches Roxas off guard. “What?” The blond replies quickly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Riku’s eyes are unchanging, becoming agitated. “Don’t lie to me. You’ve been acting weird all day.” He accuses.

“No I haven’t.” The Prince denies, shaking his head.

Riku’s gaze becomes slightly defeated. “Come on Roxas, we’re supposed to work together here.” He reasons.

“And if we free his hands, he could _also_ work together with us.” The blond says.

The knight is almost appalled at this point, his face twisted into an expression of disgust. “You can’t be serious.” He says seriously.

The Prince clenches his jaw meekly, meeting Riku’s gaze and nodding slowly. The knight brings a hand to his face, trying to keep his cool.

“That man worked for Xehanort, Roxas.” Riku says, his anger bleeding out through his forced calm tone.

Roxas clenches his fist at his side. “I know that.” He grits out.

“Do you?” The knight asks with a pointed gaze, suddenly becoming hostile. “Because from my perspective, it seems like you’ve forgotten. You seem quite friendly with him considering he helped kidnap Sora. Or did you forget that too?”

The words hit Roxas in the gut hard and Riku quickly registers his outburst, his eyes suddenly losing their anger and he opens his mouth. “Wait, no- Roxas-“ He tries, but the blond just takes a step back and glares at the older teen with slightly blurred vision.

“I’ll go find some firewood.” Roxas says quietly, his voice dripping in anger and hurt.

As he turns around Riku says nothing else, which is smart because if he did the Prince would probably try to punch him in the face. As Roxas stalks away quickly, the sound of a small branch cracks under his feet and catches Axel’s attention from his distance away. A moment later he hears the man’s footsteps following behind him and swallows thickly, rubbing at his eyes quickly before Axel somehow notices.

 “What happened back there?” The redhead asks from behind him, his voice soft.

Roxas doesn’t say anything for a moment as he continues to walk, debating on whether he should tell Axel or not. “We were just disagreeing about travel plans.” He lies, deciding on the spot that he doesn’t want to talk about it right now.

Axel lets out a small breath of amusement, causing Roxas to look behind him at the man sharply. He pauses, seeing the slight glint in the redhead’s eyes.

“If you don’t want to tell me, you could have just said so.” Axel says, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

The way he sees right through Roxas makes his hands feel clammy and the blond turns back around sharply to start walking again. He knows he’s stiff as he moves, and he can almost hear Axel’s teasing laugh in his head, but thankfully the older man doesn’t actually do so. He’s still pretty upset after the moment passes, feeling angered by Riku’s words. How could he say such a thing to him?

“Hey, there’s some good pieces over there.” Axel says, nodding to his left.

Roxas blinks, coming out of his thoughts and walks towards the area, picking up the thick branches and then placing them with the few others in Axel’s arms. He turns to walk around again, eyes scanning the forest ground to find more.

It doesn’t take too much time to gather enough firewood for the night, Axel carrying a rather hefty pile by the time Roxas places the last branch atop. The blond feels more calm being away from the knight, not willing to admit that Axel's presence may have also had something to do with it. Roxas looks around them to figure out which direction to start walking in, then a frown comes to his face when he doesn’t see Riku anymore.

“Did we really wander off that far?” The Prince asks with a slight concern.

Axel chuckles lowly. “What, you weren’t marking trees as we walked?” He asks teasingly.

Roxas jerks his head towards the redhead with a shocked look. “I was supposed to do that!?” He asks incredulously.

Axel actually laughs out loud this time, his green eyes crinkling. “No Roxas, it was another joke. You gotta get better at telling the difference.” He says with a playful wink, turning around and beginning to walk through the forest again.

Roxas can only stare at Axel’s back for a few seconds as his face flushes in embarrassment. He grits his teeth and stalks behind him with his head low, feeling so out of it. The annoyance of how Axel throws him off balance so easily is back again, and Roxas nearly starts muttering to himself about stupid redheads.

They walk for sometime before Axel stops in his tracks abruptly and Roxas, still walking with his head down, collides into the redhead’s back. He lets out a small ‘oomph’ as he hits him and Axel hushes him quietly, turning his head to the side as he listens for something.

Roxas doesn’t hear anything for a few seconds, and opens his mouth to ask Axel what the hell he’s doing when he hears a faint clanging sound in the distance. The Prince furrows his eyebrows, trying to make out what that could be.

He steps around to face Axel. “What is that?” He asks quietly, staring at the redhead whose eyes are in thought.

He shushes Roxas again which actually annoys the blond this time, and now he’s debating whether he should give the older man a smack or not. Roxas stills when he hears the sound again though, followed by a faint yell. The Prince’s eyes widen and his feels his blood chill in every ounce of his body.

“That was Riku.” He says in realization, his gut clenching tightly.

Axel’s expression becomes shocked for a moment as well as he understands. “Someone’s there, and they have weapons.”

“We have to go help him!” Roxas cries immediately, breaking out into a run towards the sound.

“Wait, Roxas come back!” Axel calls from behind him. It doesn’t stop the blond though, adrenaline already beginning to course his body as he forces his legs to move faster. All of his thoughts start morphing into ones of dread, thinking that Riku is going to get killed because of him. It makes him grit his teeth hard, and hope and pray that he’s okay. He hears more yelling, the other voice not sounding familiar and he swallows thickly as a nervous fear creeps behind his neck. He can’t even attempt to listen to Axel right now; all he can think is that if he loses another person close to him so suddenly again, he will crumble down to nothing and surely never forgive himself.

He hears the sounds of metal crashing together getting louder and then sees a few figures up ahead by the spot they begun to set up camp for. Roxas is panting hard, then opens his mouth to yell out to Riku, but before he can something catches his foot and he trips to the ground, landing with a loud grunt as the wind is knocked out of him.

When he rolls over to see what it is, Axel is panting next to him, doubled over and shaking his head. He dropped all of their firewood in his pursuit, but the redhead doesn’t seem to care as he stares at Roxas with a flabbergasted expression. “What…” He pauses as he huffs. “Are you thinking!?” He finishes with a shocked tone.

“He needs my help!” The blond cries out, scrambling to stand up again.

Roxas freezes when he hears a voice close by call out. “Who’s there!?” A deep voice asks from nearby, the sound so menacing and loud.

Axel doesn’t miss a beat, hoisting Roxas up by the front of his shirt with a surprising ease and then he shoves the blond behind a large tree to hide themselves. Roxas almost shouts in surprise as Axel presses his body firmly against his own, but hears the faint hushing of Axel in his ear. He gulps, accepting that there’s no room for debate on this one and closes his eyes as his head is pressed into Axel’s chest. He can hear the older man’s heart beating quickly in his chest and swallows thickly, the fear in his mind growing slightly. Axel didn’t seem like the kind of person to get anxious easily, so this wasn’t helping.

“There’s no one around you ingrate. Now someone bind that knight already before I kill him myself.” Another voice calls out.

Roxas shakes his head back and forth slightly, but it only causes Axel’s pressure against him to deepen.

“I need to do something.” The Prince whispers. “Let me go.” He commands, trying to push back against Axel.

The redhead doesn’t budge, and then Roxas’ voice becomes panicked as he hears Riku let out a pained cry. “I said-“

“ _Roxas!”_ Axel hisses, pulling back enough to lower his head down close to the blond’s. If it were any other situation, Roxas probably would have gotten flustered by it. Instead, he just stares into the redhead’s emerald eyes that are inches from his own. “You can’t fight these guys without your magic.” Axel says lowly.

“Y-yes I can!” The blond tries.

“No, you can’t.” Axel growls. “Those guys are mercenaries. And they’d cut you down in seconds.”

Roxas swallows thickly at the thought, then hears another cry from Riku and looks away with half-lidded eyes that begin to fill with tears. He stops struggling against Axel, and then meets the man’s gaze once more.

“Please Axel,” he begs. “You…can’t let me listen to him be captured or killed.” The Prince whispers shakily.

Axel’s gaze softens on him and then he pulls back slightly enough to hold his wrists up. “Then cut me loose.” He says quietly.

“What?” The blond asks, blinking in surprise.

The redhead’s gaze doesn’t lose any of its sincerity. “I can fight them, but you need to cut these off.” He explains.

Roxas gulps, searching the redhead’s eyes for any kind of doubt or lies, but can’t seem to find it. He wants to ask how exactly the redhead plans to do that without a weapon himself, but Axel beats him to it as he whispers his name furiously, telling him he needs to make a decision quick or they might be killed next. His thoughts become overwhelmed with having to make the right choice under such pressure, but when he realizes what he’s doing his small knife is halfway through the ropes, the bonds slicing apart with ease.

Axel pulls them off quickly, clenching his hands experimentally before he moves with a speed that takes the Prince off guard as he’s shoved up against the tree again. Roxas stares up at Axel, not understanding what’s going on as the older man's head lowers down next to his.

“You made the right call, Roxas.” Axel purrs in his ear.

Roxas is left with a shiver striking itself down his spine that causes his to go stiff as if he was stunned. Axel stares down at him with an expression he can’t really decipher, then Roxas hears the sound of a weapon being sheathed. The Prince doesn’t realize it’s the large dagger he stole until he sees it in Axel’s hand. Then before he can react, the redhead uses his free hand to take hold of the Prince, turning him around sharply and holding the knife to his throat.

Roxas is frozen in shock for a few moments before reality takes a hold of him and every ounce of his being is coated in a thick layer of betrayal. He feels his breathing pick up as the anger in his chest builds, but can also feel the fear coming back tenfold this time. 

He opens his mouth to let out the most colourful choice of words his mind can imagine, but then Axel starts pulling him to the side, walking from their hiding position to show themselves.

“Hey!” He calls to the men. Roxas sees the three men trying to take hold of Riku, two of them on the ground with their blades drawn across from Riku, who is panting heavily and is very clearly wounded. The last one sits atop of his horse, holding two steeds in place with an uninterested expression on his face. As all of their attention turns to them, the men pause in their fight and pull away from each other.

Riku freezes when he sees Axel holding Roxas with the knife to his throat, the silver-haired teen’s eyes wide as plates. “Roxas!?” He calls out in a panic.

“Riku, I-“ The blond tries.

“Oh, can it.” Axel interrupts with ice laced in his tone. “You guys work for the Heartless?” He asks the men.

Roxas bites his lip so tightly blood begins to draw out of it, and all he can do is stand as still as possible while this disgusting, traitorous monster holds his own knife to his throat and speaks so casually to the mercenaries.

“Yeh, we do as a matter ‘fact.” One of the men who was fighting Riku says. “How’d you know that?” He asks suspiciously.

“My friends, I mean no harm.” Axel says casually, sounding calm as ever. “I’ve taken a few jobs through the company. I’d recognize that emblem anywhere.” Axel explains, nodding towards them.

Roxas narrows his eyes at one of the men, trying to figure out what Axel is talking about and then sees the small heart-like symbol on one of the chests of the men. Well, the redhead was honest about his line of work after all.

“What do you want then? And who’s that blond bloke?” The one on the horses asks with a skeptical glance.

Axel chuckles lowly, and it makes Roxas clench his eyes shut as he imagines all the ways he’d like to hurt this man right now.

“All I want is to get these two out of my hair. And maybe one of your horses.” He says as Roxas continues to fume in realization. This was Axel's 'perfect opportunity'.

One of the men sneers at the redhead. “Why? Who are they?”

“Well,” Axel begins, nodding at Riku. “That man is a knight from Destiny Islands, who serves close under King Ansem. He’s also going to drop his weapon if he wants his _Prince_ to live another ten seconds.” He commands, leering at the silver-haired knight.

Roxas’ whole body is on fire with adrenaline at Axel’s words, his heart thumping so wildly he thinks it might crack his ribcage. A second later, he hears Riku drop his sword to the ground and then looks at the knight with the most apologetic look he can muster.

“Prince? You said Prince?” The one on the horse asks in a surprised tone.

“I sure did,” Axel drawls in a teasing manner. “This here, is Prince Roxas. Son of King Ansem himself.”

Each one of the men’s eyes light up like Roxas is the first meal they’ve seen in days. He tries to keep himself calm, but is practically trembling with fear.

“He doesn’t look like much of a Prince.” One of the men sneers.

The other two nod slowly. “More like a filthy commoner.” Another adds.

Roxas glares at the men heatedly while Axel chuckles. “Ah, but would a commoner have this?” Axel asks, and then Roxas feels the man’s hand reach below his clothing to pull out Sora’s necklace from under his shirt. He holds the thick silver pendant in his hand to show them. Roxas can only try not to hang his mouth open, unsure as to how Axel even knew he had the necklace. He’s kept it hidden under his clothes the entire time they’d been travelling.

The one on the horse cracks a smile. “Well this day just keeps getting better. We thought we’d just get money for selling the knight, but now we’re getting a Prince too.” He says.

“That’s right.” Axel says amicably. “All I want is one of your horses, so I can get the hell out of here.” He repeats.

One of the men narrows his gaze. “That’s all you want? Why not just take him yourself and sell him?” He asks.

“Shut up you fool!” The one on the horse commands. The redhead just laughs lightly, his voice still dripping in conceit. "They're more trouble than they're worth to me." He answers.

The one one the horse, who Roxas can only assume is the leader of their small group, holds Axel's gaze for a moment as if he's debating whether it would be worth it for them. With the way his eyes shift to Roxas and then his lips curl up slightly in a menacing smirk, the blond can already tell he's made up his mind. “Take his horse, he can walk.” He sneers towards the one asking Axel questions.

The Heartless mercenary looks like he might protest, then sees the unimpressed look on his superior’s face and exhales gruffly. He begins to walk to his horse, grabbing its reigns and leading it to Axel.

“You guys got backup at all? These two are pretty clever.” The redhead warns.

The man on the horse shakes his head. “No, but it’s no concern of ours. They’d be stupid to try anything with us.” He retorts, eyes settled on Roxas.

“That they would be.” Axel agrees.

“I’m going to kill you with my bare hands.” Roxas finally mutters to Axel as the man draws near with the horse.

The redhead leans his mouth close to the Prince’s ear, his voice soft and alluding. “Oh? I think you’ll change you’re mind shortly.” He says lowly.

Roxas furrows his eyebrows, not even wanting to spare that vague comment a thought. It’s not like he would ever trust a word out of the redhead’s mouth ever again. Or probably live long enough to do so.

When the man is just a few feet in front of them, Roxas feels the knife leave his throat in a split second and then Axel darts in front of him, taking the man by surprise as he stabs him in the windpipe with one clean cut. The man lets out a strangled cry and falls to the ground as blood pours from his throat in thick streams and the horse starts panicking, beginning to run away in fear.

“Riku!” Axel calls to the knight. Riku doesn’t waste a second, darting for his sword while the other man is temporarily stunned. Just as he turns his attention back to the knight, Riku cuts him down with a strong slash and pants heavily as the man falls to the ground.

The last man remaining on the horse begins to try and flee, commanding his horse to gallop. Axel moves quicker though, removing a throwing knife from the belt of the man he just killed and hurling it towards him. The blade impacts with the fleeing man’s skull, piercing it so deep the man becomes still then he falls from the horse without a sound.

Roxas struggles to breathe like he’s drowning right now, his eyes darting around to the now three dead men. He feels a wave of nausea start to rise in his stomach, and tears his eyes away from the bodies as Axel runs to catch one of the horses that is fleeing the gruesome scene. Roxas can only assume that means he’s making a break for it now, but can’t find the strength to try and chase after him. He did technically save their lives, even if he used Roxas as a commodity to trick the mercenaries.

The Prince finally feels the last of his adrenaline leave his body and falls to his knees shakily, having to put his hands out in front of him on the ground to steady himself. His breathing is ragged and unsteady, heart still beating wildly in his chest. Moments later Riku is kneeling next to him, the silver-haired knight resting a hand on his shoulder.

“You hurt?” He asks between breaths.

Roxas can only shake his head, body still trembling slightly. He can’t seem to find his voice, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Riku helps him stand up, wrapping an arm around him and walking away from the dead man just a few feet in front of them. The knight lets out a grunt as they stand up, and Roxas looks Riku up and down, seeing large blood stains at his side where his armour doesn’t protect him.

The Prince’s eyes widen and he gasps. “R-riku!” He stutters, staring at the teen’s wound.

“I’m fine,” the knight says, but when they get to a tree he has to let go of Roxas and lean against it for support. Riku pants heavily, his skin coated in sweat and bangs sticking to his face slightly.

The blond can only shake his head as he starts to protest, then he remembers the healing items he brought in the bags. He runs to them quickly and grabs a potion, returning to Riku who is now sitting on the ground with a hand to his abdomen. Roxas kneels down to Riku's level, observing the knight for a moment with a looming guilt in his heart. The knight’s eyes are closed as he breathes, and his face is twisted into one of pain.

Roxas reaches out to Riku's side, grabbing his wrist gently to remove his hand from the wound. Riku’s eyes open halfway at him as he does so, and Roxas frowns at the deep gashes that cut through his clothes. He opens the small bottle, holding it close to Riku’s face.

“Drink.” He order softly, tilting the bottle down slightly against the silver-haired teen’s lips. Riku closes his eyes again and does as he’s told, finishing the medicine quickly and then leans his head against the tree when he’s finished, panting lightly. Roxas reaches his hand out to smooth the sweaty bangs away from Riku’s eyes and bites his lip.

“Riku, I’m so sorry.” Roxas says quietly, his gaze falling to the silver-haired teen's wound.

The knight shakes his head. “No, don’t. I’m the one who should apologize.” He insists, raising his hand to grasp Roxas’. “I shouldn’t have said what I did. I was wrong and stupid.”

Roxas purses his lips, feeling his eyes water slightly. He nods once and squeezes Riku’s hand, feeling the knight squeeze back. There’s no way he could even try to stay mad about it at this point. Not after almost losing him in such a quick amount of time.

“Is the medicine working?” He asks, having to let go of the knight and change the subject otherwise he would probably get more emotional.

“Yea, I can feel it starting to.” Riku says. The Prince’s eyes dart to the wound, seeing that the bleeding has already stopped. He nods and stays kneeled in front of the knight in silence as his breathing becomes steady again and the pain begins to leave his face. 

"Good." Roxas says. He turns around to grab their things and freezes when he sees Axel mounted on one of the horses about thirty feet away, having successfully retrieved the other two as well.

Roxas is at a loss for words, especially with how the redhead’s eyes are staring at him intently. Axel bears an expression that is unreadable to the Prince, but he feels captivated by the look and he isn’t quite sure what to think. His head is still a mess considering all of the events that just transpired in a matter of minutes, but he knows he feels a huge relief inside of him at the sight of the redhead sitting atop the horse.

“Can he stand?” The redhead asks as he approaches, looking to Riku. Roxas turns to the knight again, not feeling very sure about that.

Just as he says no, Riku says yes and they both stare at each other for a moment before the knight shifts himself slightly to try and rise. Roxas sees the way his eyebrows furrow and his jaw tenses, so he places his hands on Riku’s shoulders, applying pressure to keep him down.

“We can wait a little bit longer. The potion works fast.” The Prince says. Riku stares at him for a moment, then falls limp again, nodding slightly.

Axel speaks up again. “How long? Not to be rude, but we need to keep moving. It’s odd these guys were out in these forests, and we need to find somewhere else to sleep before the sun sets.” He says.

The redhead has a point, seeing as the sun is close to setting at this point. “Maybe a few more minutes.” The blond says.

It's maybe a minute longer of silence before Riku rises up slowly. “Okay, let’s go.” He says even as he struggles to rise.

Roxas wants to protest, but the knight is already taking the reigns of one of the horses from Axel and giving him a quiet thanks. He mounts the horses with a quick grunt, then Roxas turns to stare at Axel with an unsure look. The redhead mirrors the expression back at him, so the Prince makes the first move, walking grab the bags and back to them to take the last remaining horse. When they’re close enough for the blond to take the reigns Roxas has to look away though, murmuring a thanks and mounting his horse with ease.

Axel looks a little surprised, but then begins leading as he brings his horse into a trot. Roxas and Riku follow behind as they weave in and out of the trees, sharing confused looks but neither being able to discuss anything without Axel probably hearing.

So, this leaves Roxas to himself and his mind to try and figure out why Axel did what he did. Why would the redhead save them like this? They hadn’t exactly treated him like a friend, but rather a foe even if the blond admittedly was slowly warming up to him. As far as Roxas was convinced, the redhead tolerated the Prince at the very most and he clearly did not like Riku in the slightest. And he knew the group of mercenaries, saying that he worked for them. So, why betray the group just to let them live?

The answers don’t seem to come, his thoughts only bringing about more and more questions. It seems like every time he thinks he might be on to something about the redhead, he goes and does something to completely throw Roxas off guard. This was the most shocking by far, and any sane person would probably become more worried about how Axel was able to cut down two men in a matter of seconds, but for some reason the Prince can’t say he wasn’t relieved that Axel came to the rescue at the last minute.

Roxas does his best to not think about it for the time being, which really is a fruitless endeavor because he ends up staring at the back of Axel’s head as they approach Oathkeeper's River again, and he can’t bring himself to look away for a single moment.


	8. Signals Crossing

The sun in almost completely set when Axel proclaims that they should tie the horses up and make a small fire. Roxas is too caught up in his thoughts to bother responding and Riku simply gives a weak grunt, the knight clearly just wanting to stop for the night to rest. Even though the potion closed his wounds and healed most of them, there’s probably still some dull pain in his abdomen. Roxas makes a mental note to check on Riku’s wounds again in the morning to ensure they doesn’t get worse. Unfortunately, he isn’t skilled enough in healing magic to do a whole lot, but has learned bits and pieces of information from Sora in his training so he knows what signs to look for in case of infection.

Axel stops his horse and drops from the steed with ease, guiding it to a tree with a small open area. As he walks, Roxas sees that the redhead has a sword tied onto his belt, the sheathed blade hanging at his side. He must have taken it from one of the men he killed, the blond muses. He wonders what else Axel may have took from them, and still continues to wonder why the redhead saved them.

He drops from his horse quietly, following Axel’s actions and tying the steed up. He looks to Riku next, watching the knight carefully lower himself and wince a little bit as he strains his wounds. The Prince looks away in guilt, setting the bags down and immediately looks for some wood to burn. He looks for branches that Axel pointed out the first time they gathered a pile, and makes sure that he can see both the redhead and Riku at all times lest he wanders off again without realizing. He finds a good pile quickly and brings it back to their makeshift camp for the night.

After he drops the wood to the ground, he starts arranging the pieces into a pyramid-like structure, resting the branches against one another. Once finished, he keeps a pile of other pieces nearby to keep it burning for awhile and then reaches for his fire tome in his bag. This would make lighting it a lot easier.

Roxas moves his hand underneath the pile, careful not to touch any branches and knock it all over. He turns his hand palm-up, then balls his fist loosely and murmurs a quiet fire spell. As he finishes, he opens his fist slowly and a calm flame emerges from his hand. As it sits under the branches, they begin to smoke and catch aflame, so Roxas removes his hand swiftly.

“Good work, Roxas.” Riku praises, sitting against a tree close by.

The blond gives the knight a small smile and then nods once.

“I gotta say, I’m impressed too. The Prince can start a fire.” Axel says teasingly, but in a way Roxas can tell is playful.

The realization makes him look automatically towards the redhead, seeing him offer a small smirk. It makes the blond swallow thickly, feeling nervous for some reason and then his eyes dart back to the small fire in front of him.

“We have beach festivals on the Islands with fires like this, but they’re much bigger.” He explains quietly.

“Probably twenty times the size of that one.” Riku adds as he begins to remove his armour.

It’s completely dark at this point, so the knight can’t see very well as he tries to shed the armour. The blond sets his fire tome down to walk towards the knight and swats at Riku’s hands lightly to resume removing the clunky armour.

“I could have done this on my own.” The knight protests weakly, but he allows Roxas to take over.

The corner of Roxas’ mouth turns upwards. “You’re right.” He agrees, but doesn’t stop. Riku closes his eyes and smiles to himself, looking like he is ready to pass out any second now. The Prince was hoping they could use this time to interrogate Axel, but seeing how exhausted Riku looks makes him quickly decide that it can wait. As he removes the last piece of armour, the knight begins shifting himself to lay down and sighs quietly.

Roxas takes the hint and wishes him a quick goodnight, walking close to the fire and lays down next to it for warmth. It’s a cold night in comparison to the ones on the Islands, Roxas hearing wind tousling the leaves high above them. Thankfully the forest shields them from the winds, but the temperature is still lower than Roxas is used to, hence why he chooses to stay close to the fire.

He closes his eyes and lays his heads against the ground, frowning slightly at the lack of comfort. Staying in the inn bed was fine and even the beds on the boat, but this? Roxas doesn’t know if he’s going to be able to fall asleep on the ground like this. He tries his best though, shifting his position a few times and even trying to use some spare clothes from their bags as a makeshift pillow. After some time of trying and no results, he sighs as he sits up, officially unable to fall asleep.

As he does so, he looks across the fire to see Axel holding one of his tomes again. The redhead’s eyes are cast downward at the pages in his lap, studying the text intently. He looks up at Roxas as the blond shifts, his expression slightly surprised.

“Oh, you’re still awake.” Axel says quietly.

Roxas ignores the comment, opening his mouth. “Why do you keep trying to read my tomes?” He asks, voice filled with curiosity.

The redhead looks down at the pages and quirks his mouth upward. “It’s crazy to me that you can read this. All of the text looks so similar.” He responds.

The Prince catches the avoidance and stands up to walk next to Axel, so they can speak quieter as to not awaken Riku and sits next to the redhead. He scans over the page of his wind tome Axel was trying to decipher, deciding not to press on it further for now. “That’s why the Ancient Tongue isn’t used anymore. It takes too long for people to learn.” He explains.

“Ah, so there was a time when everyone spoke it?” Axel asks, staring at the fire.

Roxas nods. “Yep. But it’s been centuries since the language died. Now it’s really just used in magic, and most people can’t actually read it. They pass spells down through verbal teachings.”

“How long did it take you to learn?” The redhead asks with a sincere interest.

Roxas glances at the redhead for a second before staring at the flames as he thinks. “I still haven’t fully mastered it, but I’ve been studying it for thirteen years.” He answers.

Axel gives a thoughtful noise in response, then turns to Roxas again and stares at the page. He points to a line of text. “What does that say?”

The blond leans closer to read the old pages, squinting his eyes at the tome. He pronounces the foreign tongue quietly, then explains its meaning. “It translates to: _Goddess of wind and air, show me divinity with my prayer. Slice my enemy with this blade; of earth and gust it is made.”_

Axel raises his eyebrows in surprise. “Sounds pretty menacing.” He murmurs.

The blond cracks a small smile. “Yea, you wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that.” He adds.

“What about this one?” Axel asks, turning to another page and pointing at the text.

Roxas leans closer to the redhead, reading the spell aloud. “ _Surround my enemy on all sides, with walls of winds giving nowhere to hide._ ”

Axel has his eyes closed as he reads and when he’s done the redhead smiles. “Read it in the Ancient Tongue.” He requests.

The Prince swallows thickly and almost asks why, but his eyes trail to the page to read it aloud in Tongue. When he looks up again, Axel is staring at him and their faces are close. He feels himself tense a bit, unsure as to why the redhead is staring at him the way he is.

“I like it better when you say it that way.” Axel says to him.

The way he says it makes Roxas’ heart thump extra loudly. “Yea?” He asks quietly.

The redhead nods. “Say it one more time?” He asks.

The Prince feels his face heat up in the night and hopes Axel can’t see it, but repeats the spell again quietly. After he’s done, Axel leans back and tries to recite it as best as he can, however only gets a few syllables right and butchers the rest of the spell. It makes Roxas look down and tries to suppress the amused look he can't tell is showing anyway.

“Well, now that just rude.” Axel scolds quietly. “My first time trying to speak the Old Tongue and you laugh at me?” He asks with a wink.

Roxas just shakes his head, playing along. “Okay, I’ll admit. You got maybe two words right.” He offers quietly.

“Go through it with me word by word then.” Axel suggests.

The blond shrugs slightly, saying the first word. Axel repeats it a little shaky, but passable, so he moves onto the next few words. Axel messes one of them up so Roxas repeats it again and emphasizes the pronunciation. The redhead almost gets it this time, but he just can’t quite pin the one word.

Roxas says it again, then opens his mouth to show Axel where his tongue should be as he rolls the word off. He points to the muscle, then says the word slowly. “See? You have to move your tongue like this as you say it.” He explains.

Axel tries it again, letting it roll off his tongue as instructed and Roxas feels himself grin in excitement. “There!” He exclaims in a whisper. “Just like that.” He says more calmly this time. The way Axel stares back at him with a fond gaze gives his heart an extra tight squeeze and he glances back down to the tome to calm it down. It’s weird though, he doesn’t feel angry about his reaction this time. Just a little nervous. They get through the whole spell word by word and by the end of it, Axel is scratching his head, unable to remember the sequence of words.

“It’s okay, it’s a dead language anyway.” Roxas offers.

“You’re keeping it alive though.” Axel counters.

The blond blinks up at him in surprise. “Yea, I guess you’re right.”

Axel chuckles quietly. “I’ll just have to practice more.” He decides, turning his head to stare at Roxas again. The way the fire illuminates his face mixed with the slight smile make him look so inviting and warm. It’s almost too easy how it flusters the blond, and he almost finds himself moving closer towards Axel as the man’s emerald eyes draw him in. But then thoughts of what happened earlier come back to him and he pauses, willing himself to stay in control of his actions.

“Axel, I don’t understand.” Roxas blurts out, unable to play along anymore as his anxieties grow.

Axel blinks at him, not having expected such a topic change by how his eyes widen slightly. The redhead looks away for a minute and Roxas can tell that he knows what the Prince is referring to. As the silence grows, he guesses Axel isn't going to budge on this one, but eventually he turns to look at Roxas again.

“Don’t understand what exactly? I need a bit more detail.” The redhead says.

Roxas takes his response as a good sign, and looks down. He starts with the easiest question. “Why you betrayed those men. You said you worked with them.” He murmurs.

“I worked for the mercenary group.” Axel clarifies. “And stopped after a few missions.” He adds.

“Why?” The blond asks.

Axel raises an eyebrow at him. “Did you hear the way they spoke? Talking about selling you and Riku like slaves.” The redhead recalls with disgust. “Why anyone would work for them is beyond me.” He says.

That isn’t a response that Roxas was expecting. “Oh. Did they make you do…bad things?” He asks.

The redhead stares at him with a puzzled look, also perhaps not expecting that kind of a response. “They tried to, but I don’t let anyone make my decisions for me. Not really my style.” Axel explains.

Roxas doesn’t think he wants to know what other things a group of men like that would do for money, but hearing that Axel deny any involvement in such cruel activity puts his mind at ease. He nods slowly, wondering what it would be like to live life like that; nobody making your decision for you. The blond frowns, deciding to press onto the next question.

“So, that’s the only reason you saved us? Because you don’t support them?” Roxas asks, but not in a judgemental tone.

Axel doesn’t seem bothered by the question. “Well, it was either kill or be killed at that point.” He muses, tilting his head back and forth.

The Prince looks to the fire and says nothing else, prompting the redhead to speak up again. “Hey, what’s with the gloomy eyes?” He asks.

Roxas blinks, staring at Axel. “What? My eyes aren’t…gloomy.” He mutters at the end.

The redhead snickers quietly, then leers down over him with a glint in his eyes and the all-too familiar smirk. “Were you expecting a _different_ response?” He asks, his tone alluding to something further.

The Prince’s eyes widen slightly and he feels his face warm up again in embarrassment. “You’re delusional.” He hisses quietly, turning to glare at the fire.

“Maybe, but so be it.” Axel whispers softly.

Roxas calms down from his outburst rather quickly, the flames licking at the wood soothing him in a sense. He reaches over to the piles of branches and adds another, watching it crackle and spark as it begins to burn.

Axel clears his throat quietly and it causes Roxas to look to him and pause when he sees the regret in the older man’s eyes. “Sorry I fake tricked you back there. There wasn’t enough time to explain.” He says, his voice free of any teasing. He sounds like he is truly remorseful and it causes Roxas' fist to clench tightly.

The Prince looks down and shakes his head. “No, don’t apologize. You saved Riku from a certain death.” He says.

“But you had a pretty strong gut reaction to it all,” Axel starts. He’s probably referring to the Prince’s trembling and Roxas rolls his eyes as the redhead continues. “I didn’t expect it.”

“You held my own knife to my throat; did you think I would play calm and collected?” Roxas asks with a bit of bite.

Axel shakes his head. “No Roxas, I mean- you seemed truly hurt about what I did. And by that look on your face,” he pauses to point at the blond. “I’d say I’m right.”

“I-“ Roxas starts, trying to deny it. He sighs and then looks away in defeat. “Yea.” He admits.

Axel is silent for a minute before he exhales slowly. “So, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” The redhead says. His sincerity isn’t lost on Roxas, the blond looking up to him and seeing it in his eyes. The Prince nods, murmuring an acceptance and then looks to the fire again.

The Prince knows the next question he wants to ask, but it’s a risky one. Risky in that sense that it would be a dead giveaway that he _is_ in fact, looking for a specific answer out of Axel. It’s on the tip of his tongue and his mind repeats the question over and over again with ease, encouraging him to say it. It’s right there, but he just can’t decide if it’s a good idea to ask.

Eventually his mind won’t stop urging him to just do it, then Roxas finally looks to Axel with his best poker face and he opens his mouth. “Why…did you come back to us? You could have escaped.” The Prince says.

Again, Axel falls silent, but stares at Roxas intently in their lull. Roxas isn’t completely certain, but he thinks the redhead might be staring at him like the Prince did to Axel when they were on the Islands. Like he was captivated by Roxas. The thought alone causes his heartbeat to pick up, but he doesn’t break eyes contact with the redhead, not backing down.

“Yea, I could have.” Axel finally says, his expression blank. “But then, who would get you to the castle safely?” He asks, quirking his mouth up slightly.

Roxas can’t contain the smile that comes across his face at the answer, then blinks and looks down in shyness. He gulps, then meets the redhead’s endearing eyes. “I dunno, Riku?” He suggests, his own eyes becoming playful.

Axel cracks a small laugh then closes his eyes, shaking his head. “Always gotta get those jabs in.” He muses.

Roxas opens his mouth to reply, then catches sight of Riku shifting a little bit from where he’s laying. The knight doesn’t appear to be awake, but the Prince still feels like they should probably be quiet so they don’t accidently do so. The knight needs his rest and Roxas would feel even worse about the situation if they disturbed it.

“We should probably…get some sleep.” He says, looking to Axel.

The redhead’s eyes look a little disappointed, which confuses Roxas, but he nods once. “Right. It’s pretty late now.” He says, his tone monotone.

“Yea.” Roxas says awkwardly, shifting to where he was laying near the fire earlier. He lays with his back to Axel, primarily because he doesn’t think he can sleep facing him. His thoughts are running wild, trying to make sense of the redhead’s words and actions.

“I’ll stay up and wait for the rest of the fire to burn out.” Axel says.

The blond thanks him quietly and clenches his eyes shut tightly, wanting to smack himself but also slightly wanting to smack Axel as well. Gods, why was he so flustered around the redhead all of a sudden? Most times he kept his wits about him, then Axel had to go and toss them out the window with a lazy kick, a glint in his eyes and a smirk on his face. The Prince’s thoughts can’t seem to leave the redhead as he closes his eyes to try and sleep once more. His body just won’t seem to give into it though, keeping Roxas awake once again and unable to fall asleep. The uncomfortable ground hasn’t gotten any better in the time being, either.

He lays awake late into the night, staring at the dimming glow of the fire off of trees and when it completely burns out, he hears Axel shift to lay down and the man falls asleep. After that, Roxas rolls onto his back, letting out a quiet sigh and staring at the moonlight filtering through the patches of sky in the forest. He hears a bird calling softly in the distance, its coos soft.

Eventually Roxas has to sit up again and rub at his tired eyes, suppressing a groan. His body is exhausted, eyes are heavy and yet he still can’t fall asleep. He blindly pats around the ground for their bags and then fumbles around for his flask of water, uncapping and drinking it. He ends up finishing the bottle in a few hearty gulps and then frowns when he still finds himself very thirsty. The river isn’t too far from them, Roxas hearing the calm waters ever so slightly nearby.

He spares a look to Axel and Riku, not being able to see them very well, but enough to make out that they’re still laying down and for all purposes sleeping. So, Roxas stands up as quietly as he can and grabs his fire tome, whispering a quiet spell and holds out his hand as a small flame materializes in it. He uses it to give himself some light, and starts walking towards the distant sound of the river.

Roxas is far away when it happens, but still the sudden loud snap of a branch splitting under his foot makes him cringe slightly. Hoping that it didn’t wake either of the two, he pauses and looks back towards their camp. After hearing no kinds of response Roxas presses on, making it to the river within a couple more minutes.

The small clearing of the river allows the moonlight to pour down on the ground and makes things much more visible, so Roxas closes his hand to dismiss the flame from earlier. He walks to the river, kneeling down to it and holds his flask under the water to begin filling it.

“You know, I really shouldn’t have to be the one to tell you wandering off in the night alone is a bad idea.” Axel’s voice calls to him from behind.

Roxas lets out a startled noise and nearly tumbles into the river, catching himself and then whipping his head towards the redhead who is now walking towards him. He doesn’t look to be too angry, maybe just annoyed, and Roxas looks down in guilt.

“Yea, I know. I needed water though.” The Prince explains, holding the flask up to prove his point. Also, he can’t sleep because the redhead won’t leave his mind and the ground is unbearable, but Axel doesn’t need to know that.

The older man sighs, stopping next to him and then sits down in front of the river, resting his arms over his knees. “You’re lucky it was me who heard you and not Riku.” He says. Roxas nods in agreeance. So, Axel must have heard the branch snap earlier.

Axel turns his head to face him, but Roxas can’t bring himself to face him back. “Next time, just wake me up. I’ll come with you.” He offers gently.

The blond swallows thickly at Axel’s caring tone, nodding. “Okay.” He says weakly, still staring at the river.

Axel seems content with the end of it, then reaches an arm up behind his head. It takes Roxas a second, but when he realizes what’s happening it’s too late and his breath is already caught in his throat. The redhead grasps the hair band tying his spikes back and pulls it out with a swift movement, shaking his head back and forth as they sprawl out around him.

It’s just a simple action, really. But after days of wondering what Axel’s hair looks like free from a band and even imagining it- maybe even seeing it in his dreams if he remembers clearly enough, it’s much more than that. Axel’s red spikes are thick and wild, but surprisingly soft-looking to the touch. Roxas is slightly reminded of a lion with the way his hair falls around his face, and the way the bright red spikes seem to somehow emphasize his emerald eyes even more is beyond him.

It’s all just too much. The way Axel has been making him feel, his actions earlier in the day and now this? Well, it’s no wonder Roxas feels something primal set off inside of him suddenly and he grabs a hold of Axel’s shirt, pulling the redhead forward to crash his lips against the older man’s.

As soon as he does it, a hundred sparks set off inside of his stomach and he immediately craves more of the feeling. His brain however, takes the reigns of control and forces him to freeze and pull away a second later. He stares at Axel blankly for a few seconds, who stares at _him_ blankly for a few seconds in return and then his eyes widen and Roxas reacts sharply.

He pulls back further, then brings his palm to Axel’s face with a loud slap and uses the redhead’s momentary shock to jump up and start running to camp in a frantic hurry. He only realizes he forgot his tome when he becomes aware of how much darker it is back in the forest. The Prince grits his teeth as he runs carefully, chanting all kinds of colourful words in his head for his actions with Axel. What was he thinking? Why did he do that? Why did he _like_ it so much?

He actually curses out loud at that thought, then in the next moment he’s pulled to a halt by his arm and then pushed roughly against a tree by Axel. The redhead is panting, holding the Prince still as he catches his breath.

“You know…” He starts. “For someone who is a foot shorter than me…you run pretty fast.” Axel finishes.

Roxas just clenches his eyes shut and tries to force the redhead off of him. “If you don’t get your hands off me right now I will burn them off.” He threatens in a panic.

Axel’s hand comes to his face to grip his jaw and turns it to him. His acidic eyes are serious and frustrated looking as he speaks. “Enough of that.” He orders icily.

The blond feels a small shock travel down his spine in a split second at Axel’s tone and swallows thickly, relaxing after a few seconds and deciding to just glare half-heartedly at the redhead in the dark.

“You know, you say you don’t understand me, but I’m having some trouble myself understanding _you_.” The redhead says quietly to him, staring at Roxas with his intense green eyes that seem to be bright even in the darkest hours of the night.

Axel shakes his head as he continues. “I mean really, Roxas? Kiss a guy then slap him silly? Talk about mixed signals.” He drawls, sighing dramatically.

Roxas opens his mouth to just tell him he’s sleep deprived and the stress of rescuing Sora is making him act in such a disoriented state, but then furrows his eyebrows at the redhead’s tone. He looks to Axel again, seeing the slight glint in his eyes.

“I-you…what?” He tries, watching the redhead’s lips curl into a small smirk.

“Come on now. Just cause you’re a Prince, doesn’t mean you get to go around playing games with people.” He continues, removing his hand from the blond’s jaw to wag his finger tauntingly at him as his pressure against the blond's body softens.

The Prince can’t even begin to try and formulate a response to that, his lips parted slightly in an attempt to say something, but doesn’t get the chance as Axel tilts his head to the side and kisses him. This time, a thousand sparks set off inside of Roxas’ stomach at the gentle feeling of the redhead’s lips. Axel gives him slow, soft kisses and brings a hand to his face, stroking his thumb along the blond’s jawline. His touch leaves a trail of heat in its path, and Roxas’ mind has completely flatlined at this point. The only comprehendible thought he seems to have is to keep this feeling going, because it’s so addictive.

Roxas feels his stomach doing flips inside of him as Axel continues to plant his lips with chaste kisses, the sound of their mouths meeting making his mind hazy. He didn’t think it was possible for him to feel such a way, but his body is becoming more and more excited as he kisses the redhead back. He hears Axel inhale and his hand on his jaw moves to the back of his neck, pulling the blond closer to him and eliciting a small gasp of excitement from him.

Axel’s fingers brush up his neck, sending a sharp shiver down his spine and he resists the urge to shudder. Roxas brings his hands up to rest on the older man’s chest, feeling the redhead’s heartbeat running wild much like his own. The realization sends another rush of excitement in his body and he presses himself closer to Axel, brushing their chests together.

This time Axel lets out a quiet moan and the sound is like music to the Prince’s ears, craving to hear it again. Before he can think of a way to do so, the redhead’s lips are parting and his tongue brushes against Roxas’. The action catches him off guard, but he parts his lips nonetheless and allows Axel to kiss him more feverishly. At this point, Roxas feels like his whole body is on fire and it’s all so much-

Then all of a sudden Axel pulls away from him slowly, staring down at the Prince with half-lidded eyes. Roxas nearly grabs ahold of his shirt to bring him back in for more, but watches the redhead pull back even further, taking a step back from the blond and then a teasing smile begins to bloom across his face before he turns away to walk back to their camp. Roxas is still leaning against the tree, staring at the redhead walking away casually like nothing just happened with disbelief.

“Coming Roxas?” His playful tone calls to the Prince. “Oh, and I grabbed your tome, don’t worry.” Axel adds.

Roxas just gulps and starts walking towards the redhead with a flushed face, thankful he can’t see it as his mind reels over what just happened.

* * *

Cloud lets out an exhausted sigh as he lowers himself into his hot bath for the evening, skin and muscles welcoming the relaxing feeling. As he sits down and leans his head back to stare at the ceiling, his thoughts drift to his brothers and all he can do is hope they’re safe. Over the past couple of days, the kingdom has been hectic with guards everywhere he turns. His father hasn’t been doing well either, the King convinced that someone is trying to usurp the throne and destroy his family. Cloud hasn’t seen him much since Roxas left, only reporting to the King when he was summoned after he found out the young blond was missing.

The eldest Prince has done his best to mediate the situation without actually revealing anything to the King about Roxas’ whereabouts, which has proven to be a challenge to say the least. When he arrived to the throne room only to find his father slumped in his throne with Yen Sid at his side, the man nearly broke down in a fit of rage and suggested that someone in the castle must be responsible for both his son’s going missing. He suggested it to be Riku, seeing as the knight is now nowhere to be found and has ordered a search for him. As the days have gone by and none of the guards have been able to report any useful information, the King has become more and more distressed.

Today, it got so bad that the King had a sudden outburst at dinner and knocked over plates of food and cups of wine, startling both Aerith and Cloud before his father stormed out of the room in anger with a servant trailing not to far behind him. The Prince debated following after the man, but after hearing him yell at the servant to leave him at once in his booming voice down the hall, Cloud decided it wasn’t the wisest decision to make at the time.

He spent the remainder of his evening working among the Royal Guard to try and keep them distracted with searching the Islands for Sora and Roxas, seeing as his father has taken the liberty of locking himself in the west wing for the past few days. Cloud can tell that many of the guards are becoming frustrated with having to complete the same rounds over and over again, only to provide no results. Aerith tells him that citizens are becoming worried about the constant searching of their streets and homes with no explanation, but Cloud can’t let word get out that the Prince’s were missing. It would cause havoc.

The thought alone makes the Prince sigh in exhaustion and rest his hand over his eyes. He looks towards the door when a faint knocking comes from behind it.

The blond closes his eyes and takes a breath before he speaks up loudly. “What is it?” He asks in a slightly irritated tone.

“Forgive me Prince Cloud,” he hears Leon say from the other side of the door. “I won’t disturb you further-“

“No. Enter Leon.” The blond interrupts over him, glancing at the door quickly. There’s a pause for a few seconds before he watches the door open slowly and then his knight steps inside, closing the door with a click. When he turns to scan the dark room strewn with various candles it takes him a second to locate the blond and when he does, Cloud sees the brunet freeze.

“Prince Cloud, I didn’t realize you were having a bath.” Leon says lowly.

His tone threatens to bring a small smile to the blond’s face and he turns his head away before standing up and stepping out of the bath. He takes his time, walking slowly in the warm night to retrieve a thin robe. As he slips his arms into it, he spares a split-second glance towards Leon and sees the knight’s gaze on him. The brunet’s eyes dart to the side and Cloud just keeps his eyes on the knight intently, detecting the slight embarrassment.

He walks into the main bedroom and pauses a few feet in front of Leon. “You must have something important to say to come by so late.” He muses. “What is it?” He asks, not minding having his bath disturbed as much anymore, seeing as it’s by the knight.

Leon blinks at him, his stormy grey eyes giving the Prince a slight spark of excitement with the way they leer at him in the candlelight. But a moment later, he breaks eye contact and glances at the ground. “My Lord, I wanted to speak to you about the searches.” He says.

Cloud eyes shut tightly thin his shoulders slump slightly. So much for that. “Leon, please. I know the guards are sick of searching but-“

“Prince Cloud, we’ve got a lead on their whereabouts.” The knight interrupts.

The blond blinks at Leon a couple of times, his face blank. No, there’s no way they would have any idea by this point. Roxas, Riku and Axel had left days ago, and his father still had all boats on lockdown.

But he has to force himself to act like he doesn’t know that, and hopes his silence is interpreted in a good way by Leon before he responds. “When? And where?” He asks quickly, glancing to the ground.

“After one of the knights reported speaking with Riku the day Roxas and Sora went missing, I sent a patrol squad to investigate the surrounding streets. One of the guards spoke with a man at a tavern who said he saw a knight and two men walking in the streets towards the beaches that night.” Leon explains.

He wants to shrug his shoulders in relief, but Cloud shakes his head lightly. “Leon, that could be anyone.” He comments skeptically, though there’s a real possibility that was them considering they were sneaking to get onto a boat by the beaches.

“I don’t think so, My Lord.” The knight protests. “The man said he recognized the armour of the Royal Guard. Everyone else was accounted for in the castle that night but Riku.”

The Prince keeps his face calm, but on the inside begins to panic slightly. “So, did he follow them? Where did they go?” He asks.

The knight closes his eyes and shakes his head back and forth. “I’m afraid not, and we have no other leads. But we aren’t giving up Prince Cloud.” He says determinedly, opening his eyes once more to stare at Cloud with a firm gaze.

The Prince has to look away, feeling guilt start to build in him for lying to the knight. He doesn’t say anything for a moment, so Leon nods and excuses himself quietly to exit the room. He watches the knight walk to the door, debating on whether he should tell the brunet the truth or not. He doesn’t have much time to decide, but before he can come up with any definitive decision he feels himself instinctually call to the knight as his hand meets the door handle.

Leon pauses, keeping his hand on the door and turns his head to the Prince. “Yes, My Lord?” He asks in surprise.

Cloud almost forgets to respond for a second, then catches himself. “Were there still guards outside my room when you arrived?” He asks lowly.

The knight’s eyes narrow slightly as he hears the question, but he nods his head in silence. Cloud presses his knuckles to his lips in thought for a second before he starts walking towards Leon. His shoulders tense a but, but the knight’s eyes don’t back down and he drops his hand to his side and Cloud approaches. When he stands in front of Leon, Prince reaches for the handle and sees the knight move out of the way in his peripheral. He opens the door, glancing at the two guards standing side by side in front of his room.

Cloud clears his throat, catching the attention of the guards with a sharp glance.

“My Lord?” One of the asks in confusion.

“Go patrol over my father’s quarters. He needs it more than I do.” The blond orders quietly.

One of them opens their mouth to protest but the other kicks him lightly, then drags him away before he can say anything. Cloud is thankful for the obedient one, then closes the door and looks to the ground for a second before taking a breath and meeting Leon’s gaze.

Cloud has only known the brunet for close to a year now, but he’s become quite good at reading his minimal facial expressions. At first the Prince thought the stoic brunet was more apathetic than he was most days, but as he came to learn the knight he discovered Leon was just a truly dedicated person who wanted to serve the people and protect them at all costs. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to tell that by looking at him, especially with his serious eyes, the large scar between them and minimal verbal responses. But like he said, it was something the Prince came to learn as they spent more time together.

This expression was hard for him to gauge though. It looks like thoughts upon thoughts are running through the brunet’s mind and he isn’t sure how he should react.

So, the Prince starts walking back towards his bathing room without a word and hears the knight starts to follow behind, picking up on the hint. He smiles slightly to himself and then pauses in front of his bath, turning towards Leon.

“I feel I shouldn’t have to say this to you of all people, but what I’m about to tell you doesn’t leave this room.” Cloud declares sternly, his voice low and serious.

Leon nods curtly. “As you command, My Lord.” He says. The Prince catches a slight sense of unease in his tone.

“Roxas and Riku left the Islands to find Sora several days ago.” Cloud says simply, never being one to sugar coat things.

Leon stares at him for a long time in silence, his eyes serious and maybe expecting the blond to tell him he’s lying. However, after a long pause the brunet opens his mouth slowly.

“I’m not sure I understand.” Leon says hesitantly.

“I suppose that’s an appropriate response,” Cloud muses, slipping his robe off and letting it drop to the ground and he steps into his tub again. When he’s settled in again, he stares at Leon, watching the knight’s slightly shocked expression.

“After word of Sora’s disappearance got to Roxas, he and Riku planned to sail to Eclipsis to find him.” Cloud explains.

Leon’s gaze is still full of confusion and doubt as he opens his mouth to respond. “Prince Cloud…” He tries with a low tone.

The Prince just exhales and leans his neck against the edge of the tub. “I know Leon, it sounds ridiculous out loud.” He admits sluggishly. Then he raises his head a moment later to meet the brunet’s stormy eyes. “But I speak the truth. Riku apprehended one of Xehanort’s men after Sora went missing, who revealed that the King did in fact plan to kidnap him.” He explains with a strain in his voice as he nears the end.

The knight falls silent again and Cloud almost groans in frustration, wondering if he grossly misread Leon’s trust him. The thought makes him frown a bit as he leers at his bath water, until the brunet speaks up again.

“Why would we reveal that?” Leon asks.

The Prince looks to him with a slight surprise, his expression blanking for a moment. Then he blinks and responds. “Apparently he was a mercenary for hire by the King. He was the spiky-haired redhead.” He explains.

Leon nods once, then crosses his arms and tilts his head down as he thinks. “And you haven’t told the King?” He asks.

Cloud shakes his head even though Leon isn’t looking at him, letting out a slow breath. “He wouldn’t believe me even if I tried to convince him. Riku and Roxas took the mercenary with them to help them locate the Castle.” The Prince explains as he begins washing himself.

The knight lets out a hum, then walks over to the wall adjacent to him and leans against it with his arms still crossed. “And he complied?” Leon mumbles in surprise, quirking an eyebrow.

Cloud rolls his eyes and runs a hand through his hair as he recalls the way the redhead addressed them with such insolence. “He didn’t have much of a choice.” He says, pausing for a moment before continuing.  “I debated stopping Riku and Roxas and taking the man to the King myself.”

The knight nods. Cloud thinks that Leon wouldn’t have even had to spare a thought if he was in his situation; the knight would immediately do his dutiful action to serve the King. The Prince knows that’s what he should have done, and the actions he chose to do could be punished under treason.

“What made you change your mind?” Leon’s voice asks quietly.

The Prince’s eyes narrow up at the ceiling and he pauses with his wash cloth on his body. He’d known why he chose to let Roxas go right in that moment; but it was a matter of deciding if he should tell Leon that. This was because he was beginning to feel anxious about being so honest with him. What if the knight walked out after him revealing all of this and went straight to his father to report the information?

No, Leon wouldn’t do such a thing, Cloud thinks. There is little doubt that the man is dutiful like no other, but he has always been incredibly loyal to the Prince and had never made him think otherwise.

“Cloud?” The knight calls to him, catching his attention sharply. The brunet’s eyes look concerned and his voice is soft.

Leon blinks almost immediately after, looking down in shame at his informality. “F-forgive me, Prince Cloud I-“

Cloud closes his eyes and shakes his head back and forth with a small smirk as his tension is momentarily released in his shoulders. “Leon, please. When we are free from other ears you may address me simply by name.” The blond says in an assuring tone.

Though Leon’s strong reaction to his slip up makes Cloud want to frown a bit. The Prince assumed that with their closeness and familiarity growing between them Leon would be more comfortable with him, but such was not the case. Their relationship was a bridge made of glass so fragile that if either one of them tried to take a step onto it, there was a strong chance everything would shatter into millions of pieces and it would take them both down with it. Judging by how Leon reacts to him, it’s safe to say he won’t try to step across the bridge.

Yet Cloud can’t help the feeling of wanting to take the chance of crossing grow more and more as time passed between them, knowing full well that there’s no possible way it could end well. There was no way to stop the way he felt though, even when he tried to put distance between them. It’s not like that was even a viable option, because Leon was sworn to be by his side for the rest of his days.

Again, the knight’s voice cuts through his thoughts in a quiet, low sound. “Okay…Cloud.” He says more confidently this time. The Prince can’t deny the slight jolt of excitement at his tone, surprised that Leon actually complied so easily. Maybe he was wrong after all.

He swallows thickly, his throat feeling dry and he finishes up washing himself. “I changed my mind because…my Father would overlook the King’s actions to keep the treaty alive. Even if it meant sacrificing his own son.” He finally admits quietly.

It takes him awhile to be able to look at Leon after he says it, but once he does Leon takes a small step towards him, dropping his arms at his sides.

“It can’t be easy to declare such words.” He murmurs, his eyes gentle.

Cloud looks away, feeling sheepish as the man’s gaze makes his heart flutter slightly. He nods once though, sighing quietly as a hush falls between them.

The sound of Leon’s armour clinking softly as he comes closer catches his attention again and he looks to the knight, seeing him kneel down.

“Cloud, I swore an oath to you. To fight for you, protect you and die for you.” He says, staring at the ground. The Prince feels himself rising from his bath slowly, walking up the small steps to exit it.

“And I’m going to keep that oath to you with every breath I draw.” Leon finishes, staring down at the Prince’s dripping feet as they approach him.

Cloud stares down at the knight, unable to tear his gaze away from the man even as he stands in front of him dripping wet and naked.

“Stand, Leon.” He hears himself say.

Ever so slowly, the knight rises from his kneel. His eyes trail up Cloud’s body as he does so, the action shooting electric currents under the blond’s skin. When Leon’s grey eyes meet his, the Prince’s finger twitches and he clenches his fist at his side tightly.

The bridge is back in front of them, its beautiful, glass structure separating them from one another. Cloud stares at Leon from across it, feeling the last of his resolve start to fade. He wants to run over the stupid thing and not look back, but a sudden burst of fear catches him at the last minute, making his feet stay planted firm in the ground.

“If you learn anything new, report it to me immediately.” He says, breaking eye contact with Leon and walking into his room to change into his night attire. As the knight excuses himself from his room with a quiet goodnight, Cloud slumps against his vanity and then reaches for the carafe sitting atop it to pour himself a glass of wine.


	9. Doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, hope everyone is doing well. Just wanted to let you all know there will be a bit of a delay in getting the next chapter out. I have a very busy 2 weeks ahead of me, so I apologize in advance and appreciate your patience. I promise to make the next chapter a little bit longer to make up for it!!
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy 😊

Axel doesn’t say anything further as him and Roxas make their way back to Riku. The redhead’s silence is both appreciated and questioned by the Prince; appreciated, because Roxas thought Axel would have begun teasing him about what just happened by now, and questioned because he can only wonder _why_ Axel hasn’t begun teasing him about it by now. There haven’t been many moments when the redhead was free of his impish taunts and the Prince was sure this opportunity wouldn’t have been one to pass up.

Yet here they were, stalking about the forests in silence during the early hours of the morning with little light from the moon above. Roxas can’t see very well, but Axel seems to know where he’s going so the blond follows his dark figure as best as he can without getting too close to him. He wonders if maybe the redhead is just planning out the perfect joke in his head to catch the blond off guard as they walk.

Roxas isn’t entirely sure how he manages to do it without tripping on a root or something, but they arrive back to their things safely and Axel immediately lays down to attempt to sleep. Roxas stands still, his hand is resting against one of the large trees and he simply stares at Axel’s silhouette blankly, almost wanting to ask _that’s it_? But he instead slides himself down the tree until he’s leaning against it on the ground, ultimately deciding that he needs to sleep. This time when he lays down and closes his eyes, slumber comes easily in an exhausting blanket and Roxas feels like he could sleep into the next evening and still need rest.

Unfortunately for the Prince, it feels like he just shut his eyes before he feels his foggy dreams become stirred. He thinks he hears a voice calling to him, but it’s muffled. His dreams begin to fade into nothingness around him and he thinks he’s blinking once, twice.

His eyes focus on the figure waking him, narrowing his tired eyes at Riku. The knight appears to be fine on all accounts today, his exhaustion gone and wounds seemingly healed. The thing is though, is that Roxas is still incredibly tired and having his sleep disturbed makes his anger spike quite a bit.

Still, he holds his tongue as Riku watches him sit up. Roxas winces when he feels a sharp pain shoot into the side of his neck, bringing his hand to it to try and tell what’s wrong. He hisses when his fingers press into the strained muscle, surely a result of sleeping on the ground. The realization makes him frown deeply, his mood plummeting even further.

“We’ll find somewhere to stay tonight,” Riku murmurs, reading the blond’s body language easily. The Prince looks at him and simply nods, then he gestures to the knight’s wounds half-hazardously.

“How are you healing?” Roxas mumbles tiredly, feeling a yawn coming.

Riku looks down at himself, resting a hand over his clothes. “Good. No pain at all this morning.” He says a little surprised, lifting the hem of his shirt to show the blond. The skin where he was cut is pink and thin-looking, but it did appear to be healing fine with no infection. Roxas nods to himself as he yawns, wiping at his eyes as they water with the action.

Then the blond looks around him, furrowing his eyebrows when he notices Axel isn’t with them. He looks to Riku in question. “Where’d he go?” He asks groggily, standing up and stretching his arms above his head with another yawn.

“Went to bathe in the river.” Riku explains quietly, turning to their bags to retrieve some food.

Roxas hums quietly, blinking his heavy eyes slowly. When was the last time he himself had a bath? He almost grimaces at the thought, running a hand through his hair. Now would be a good time to go have one, but the thought of seeing Axel nude again like he did at the inn a couple nights ago makes his throat tight and he immediately squashes the idea. The Prince decides that he can wait some more time, even if he’s pretty sure there’s dirt on his face from sleeping on the ground.

He rubs the heel of his hand into his eye socket, holding back a groan of frustration at how tired he still is. Roxas knows he isn’t in a position to act like an upset child though, so he simply sighs quietly and then glances at Riku again. The knight is munching on bread silently, eyes cast to the ground and looking like something is bugging him.

 _Could it be his wounds?_ Roxas thinks to himself. He wouldn’t be surprised if the knight lied about how well it was healing, considering Riku’s determination to find Sora as quickly as possible. The thought of the knight lying to him makes Roxas feel sour though and he almost narrows his eyes in suspicion at him. He opens his mouth to ask the knight what’s wrong, but instead turns his attention to the side when he hears footsteps approaching. Thankfully it’s just Axel, so the blond’s anxiety is settled at least somewhat. That is, until he sees the glint in the redhead’s eyes as he approaches, nodding to them both.

“I was wondering how long you were going to sleep in.” Axel muses, crossing his arms as he stares at Roxas.

The Prince looks away sharply, focusing on a bird in a tree up above. “Didn’t get much sleep last night.” He mumbles, feeling his heart rate pick up.

It may have been the wrong choice of words though, because when he hears Axel start to speak he _knows_ the redhead is taunting him. “Oh? What could have kept you awake I wonder?” He asks. His tone is convincing, but when Roxas looks to Axel again he gets a quick spark of excitement at the man’s gaze.

Still, Roxas tears his eyes away and walks towards Riku to grab their bags. “Probably had something to do with the ground.” He mutters back, picking one up and rummaging through it. He grabs a handful of nuts and starts munching on them, refusing to look at Axel anymore.

“Let’s get going then. The quicker we get to a town, the better rest we’ll have tonight.” Riku says, picking up one of the bags.

“You guys both look…rough.” Axel says, staring at Roxas’ tired appearance and the dried blood covered across Riku’s armour. “Are you sure you don’t want to rest any longer?” He asks.

Both Roxas and Riku look to him sharply. “ _No._ ” They both declare in unison.

Axel holds both of his hands up in front of him. “All right, all right. Let’s just follow the river to the edge of the forest then.” He comments sheepishly, starting to walk towards their horses and to untie one.

“Axel,” Riku calls out to him. Roxas stares at the knight quizzically, as does the redhead. The Prince doesn’t think Riku has ever addressed the man by his actual name until now, and it catches them both off guard. Axel turns to the silver-haired teen with a surprised look as he stops.

“Thank you. For saving me yesterday.” He says, taking a step towards Axel. “I’m still not sure why you did…nonetheless, you have my thanks.”

There’s a stretch of silence for a few seconds before Axel offers a small smile. “Call it a peace offering.” He says casually, waving a hand and turning back to the horses.

“Very well,” the knight comments, before his voice gets serious again. “But I have to ask: Why are you still here?” He questions.

Roxas wonders if Riku will believe the redhead if he simply tells him what he told the blond last night. Would the knight accept his answer without a firm explanation?

He watches the redhead grab one of the saddles on the ground and lay it atop one of the horses easily, adjusting it. “What, you don’t like my company?” He asks back teasingly, as he reaches for the strap on the underside of the horses belly to tie the saddle down.

The knight’s eyes narrow, clearly not impressed with the response. “Not particularly.” He answers truthfully. “I fail to see why you’d want to stay with us after…” Riku trails off.

Axel pauses in his actions, turning to face them. “You beat me silly, bound my hands for days, tied me to a pillar and even _blinded_ me temporarily?” The redhead finishes, looking to Roxas at the end of his sentence.

The blond looks down and crosses his arms, not liking the way Axel is steering the conversation. Mixed with the uncertainty of what was going on between him in the redhead and his exhaustion, his anger hikes fast.

“None of your prior actions gave us room to trust you. Our measures were necessary.” The knight retorts, annoyance present in his tone.

Axel just raises an eyebrow in disbelief. “Yea? I didn’t realize tying a man up like a hog for days was a necessity.” He says, turning back to the horse and finishing tying the saddle.

Roxas is seething now, and quips in before Riku can respond. “You failed to mention the parts where you stayed in our land as a guest, helped the King kidnap my brother-“ He starts.

“I told you I had no involvement in that.” Axel interrupts coldly with his back still to them.

It just feeds into the blond’s anger more though, and his voice rises and he continues. “Disrespected each of us on numerous accounts, nearly got us killed the moment we arrived to this nation, _lied_ to me and now-“

This time it’s Riku who interrupts him, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Roxas.” He says gently. The blond stops in his yelling to look to the silver-haired man and his eyes widen when he sees the concern on Riku’s face. He pants lightly and the realization of his outburst hits him, causing the blond to look down in shame.

“I…Forgive me.” He murmurs to Riku. The Prince turns back to Axel, who has mounted himself on the horse and actually looks like he’s hurt by the blond’s harsh words.

It makes him think of the events that happened last night, when they were speaking so easily with one another and it surprisingly makes him feel a little guilty about the way he is acting. Roxas knows that he’s stressed and confused with everything that has happened in such a short amount of time, but he also knows he let his temper get the better of him and he runs his hand over his face tiredly again.

“We haven’t acted favourably towards each other up until now.” He admits quietly, dropping his hand to his side. “You took the first step to amend that.” Roxas says in a soft praise. It makes Axel’s frown lessen, which secretly pleases the blond.

Then, an idea pops into his head and he raises his chin at the redhead confidently. “That is why I’m willing to offer you a deal.” He announces confidently, looking up to meet Axel’s eyes.

He’s searching the Prince’s gaze intently, trying to catch on to what he’s planning. It doesn’t seem like he has a definite guess though, so he tilts his head to the side slightly. “Offer away.” He responds quietly. Roxas doesn’t miss the flatness in his tone, and wonders if the redhead was seriously upset by his outburst.

Still, he continues. “The deal is as follows: You escort Riku and I safely to Xehanort’s castle,” he pauses as he almost says _like you said last night_ , but thankfully catches himself. “And help save Sora. When we’re all returned on the Islands safely, and _only then_ , will I pardon your crimes and let you walk a free man.” Roxas finishes.

Riku and Axel both give him confused looks. “I’m not your captive anymore.” The redhead states skeptically.

Roxas’ gaze becomes challenging. “You could be again though, if that’s what you wish.” The Prince suggests lowly.

Axel’s eyes widen in surprise, then he grins wickedly. “Gee Roxas, is that a threat?” He asks, clearly not intimidated.

Roxas isn’t sure how he feels about the redhead having such an excited reaction to his words, but continues nonetheless. “Take it how you will.” He states simply.

“You told me the night we set sail from the Islands that I wouldn’t be killed if I complied with you.” Axel recalls, giving him a pointed gaze.

“ _What?”_ Riku hisses.

The Prince is a little surprised he brought that up, but doesn’t let it show. He takes another step closer to Axel and ignores Riku. “You’re correct, I did say that. I never said anything about your freedom though.” He adds with a mockingly sweet smile.

The redhead’s eyes narrow in defense as if he’s starting to realize Roxas is being serious. “I could outrun you in a matter of minutes.” He argues, looking down to his horse as if to emphasize his point.

Roxas turns to their bags, picking up his wind tome. “And I could fling you into the skies in a matter of seconds.” He says.

If he’s honest, it would probably be very difficult for him to do so with all of the trees packed around them, but Roxas hopes that the redhead won’t call his bluff. Axel seems like he’s still going to be stubborn and maybe even try his luck, so the blond has to think quick. After a few more seconds of silence, the Prince looks to the tree tops as if he’s pondering something.

“I forgot to add…” He starts, pausing and making sure Axel is watching him. “If you’re successful in completing this mission, I’ll pay you enough gold to never have to work for hire ever again.”

The redhead visibly perks up at this, blinking in surprise at his words.

“Prince Roxas…” Riku warns quietly from next to him. Roxas gives him a sideways glance, tensing his jaw and saying nothing to the knight. Riku nods and falls silent again, taking the hint.

“I don’t know…The last time I trusted royalty it didn’t end so well.” He says, raising an eyebrow.

Roxas rolls his eyes at the man. “You’re a fool for trusting Xehanort.” He says, yet his eyes become more understanding as he continues. “But, he is also your King and I doubt there was little room for you to reject serving him.” He says.

The redhead looks a little shocked by his empathetic words, looking away sharply. The Prince simply waits for him to continue, unsure as to how he will respond to his offer. A moment later though, he begins to lower himself from his horse and walks until he’s standing in front of Roxas.

“How will this be bound? We have no documentation.” Axel asks.

Roxas stares up at the redhead. “You’ll just have to take my word. Riku stands witness as well.” He reasons. The Prince knows it’s not the safest option as words could be twisted, but he just has to hope that Axel will have faith in him.

The redhead stares into the blond’s eyes intently for a few more seconds, before he exhales quietly. “Yesterday, you took a risk putting your trust in me. Now I have to do it too.” He declares, holding his forearm out.

His words are like honey to the Princes ears, but then Roxas stares at the man’s arm and looks up to Axel with a puzzled expression. The redhead closes his eyes and lets out a small breath of amusement, reaching his free arm out to grasp his right hand. The Prince can practically feel Riku bristling behind him and discretely holds his palm out to the knight in a gesture to stop him. Axel brings the blond’s hand to rest on his upper forearm, then grips Roxas’ same arm in similar fashion.

Roxas nods in understanding, looking at their arms linked together and then back up to Axel. They’re close kind of like they were last night, except now that it’s morning Roxas can really see him up close. His eyes flicker to the man’s lips and then he curses mentally, glancing at his striking eyes. They look playful, like a silent confirmation that Axel caught the action.

“So it’s a deal then.” He purrs quietly, leering down at Roxas like he did last night.

Roxas feels goosebumps shoot up his arm and responds weakly. “Right, it’s a deal.”

The redhead pulls away slowly enough that Roxas thinks he might just be doing it on purpose, then turns to walk in front of Riku.

“It’s custom for all parties to shake on a deal.” He adds, holding out his arm again.

The knight stares at the man with a tense expression, then he sighs and grabs hold of Axel’s forearm with a firm shake. Roxas notices that their shake is much stiffer and short-lived, then turns to the horses quickly and mounts the one Axel just prepped.

The redhead turns to him with a shocked expression, but Roxas just meets his gaze with a coy expression. “Thanks for getting my horse ready.” He says simply, steering his horse to turn around. As he does so, he catches the amusement in Axel’s eyes and the blond has to stare straight ahead on purpose as he hears the other two prepare their horses and gather the bags.

Shortly into their travels, the blond finds his body feeling heavy with exhaustion and sighs heavily. He needs to do something to keep his mind occupied, otherwise he’s almost certain he’ll fall asleep on top of his horse. Maybe he should have agreed with Axel when he suggested they rest more.

It doesn’t help that the forest is filled with sounds of birds calling to each other in sweet sounds and the quiet river next to them is peaceful enough to lull Roxas. The Prince’s eyes start to lower ever so slowly, until Riku’s voice startles him back awake. “Axel, I have some questions regarding Xehanort.” He says.

“You can ask, but I’m not sure I’ll have any answers you’re looking for.” The redhead muses from ahead, riding in front.

“I already asked him about Sora. He doesn’t know why Xehanort kidnapped him.” Roxas says lowly, staring at the ground as his mood begins to dampen.

“He didn’t give any explanation?” Riku asks skeptically, more towards Axel.

The redhead shakes his head, eyes focused in front of him. “None. And I wasn’t about to start interrogating the man about his decisions.” He explains. Roxas thinks he hears a minor sliver of remorse in his words and grips the horse’s reigns tightly in his hands.

 “What did he say exactly the day you were given the instructions?” The knight persists further.

Axel brings a hand to his jaw as he recalls. “All I was told is that one of the Princes was to be isolated, detained and brought to a smaller ship to sail for Eclipsis.”

The cold words cut deep into Roxas and he purses his lips tightly. Another wave of betrayal threatens to consume the blond after hearing Axel’s explanation, wondering how he could have been complicit in the act of kidnapping someone like Sora. He knows the redhead has admittedly regretted the actions, yet can’t seem to bring himself to fully forgive the man.

“One of the Princes?” Riku clarifies. “He didn’t specify which one at the time?”

Axel shakes his head. “No, but one of the other men was ordered to tail Sora shortly after Xehanort left.” He adds.

“So that means he was targeting him particularly…” Roxas contemplates, closing his eyes as he thinks. “But why?”

“Not necessarily.” Riku disagrees. “He could have just been looking for an opportunity for one of you to leave the castle.” He reasons.

That thought never crossed Roxas’ mind until now, and he can’t help the dreadful feeling that creeps up his spine when it does.

“Alright, let’s pull back for a moment then,” the Prince starts. “What does Xehanort have to gain by kidnapping one of King Ansem’s sons?” He asks.

“Gold?” Riku suggests.

“Why would a King need gold though?” Roxas asks.

The knight shakes his head. “Revenge perhaps then? It doesn’t seem like the people here care for the Islands.” He says.

That makes more sense, Roxas thinks to himself. From the way Axel described things, the war between the two nations has ultimately led to its inglorious state. Revenge didn’t seem like a crazy idea if he thought about it that way, but still it didn’t seem to fit together as sensibly as it should.

“I can tell you one thing,” Axel chimes in. “A man like Xehanort only wants one thing out of life: Power.”

The redhead’s words make the dreadful feeling come back tenfold this time, so Roxas chooses to nod silently and try to listen to the sounds of the forest to calm him down as they continue to ride.

* * *

By the time the sun has reached its peak and has already begin to trail towards the west, they come to the clearing of the forest. Beyond the lines of trees is a vast open field with tall grass and rolling hills. Oathkeeper’s River still continues to stretch far beyond the clearing and into the distance and Roxas can only wonder how far it must reach considering how much time they’ve spent walking alongside it.

He hears the sound of paper rustling and looks to his side, seeing Riku unfolding their map.

“Axel, there’s a town called Hollow Bastian that is close by if we keep following the river.” The silver-haired man says.

Axel halts his horse from in front, staring out at the open field ahead of them. “Yes, I’ve lived there for sometime in the past. It’s a big town.” He muses aloud.

“Safe?” Riku asks skeptically.

The redhead shrugs. “Some parts are. Most aren’t though.” He says.

“Is it worse than Traverse Town was?” Roxas chimes in.

Axel spares him a glance before looking upwards. “Well…” he says, voice a little higher than normal. “It’s not better, that’s for sure.”

That doesn’t do much to soften the impact, making Roxas frown slightly. “Whatever, it’s long past midday and if it’s the closet town nearby, we’re going.” He declares stubbornly. His neck is a constant reminder that sleeping on the ground is not a viable option for him.

“I’ll go ahead to check that the hillsides are clear then.” Axel says, turning to glance at the field again.

Riku nods. “Right, we’ll wait here for your signal.” He says, looking somewhat impressed that the redhead offered to do such a thing.

Roxas says nothing as he watches Axel start cantering away on his horse to exit to forest. He decides to use this small period of time as a break, lowering himself from his horse and retrieving his water flask. He gulps it down quickly and walks towards the river to fill it again, drinking the liquid hastily.

“Prince Roxas, a word if I may?” The knight asks him.

The blond looks up to the silver-haired teen as he drinks, nodding.

“Are you sure hiring Axel was the wisest decision?” Riku asks, getting straight to the point.

Roxas drops his flask from his mouth and frowns, under the impression that they were done with this topic long ago. Not the topic of hiring Axel per say, but the topic of _trusting_ him. Because the way Riku asks Roxas that question is enough to tell the blond that it’s what the knight really means.

He tries to remain neutral though, taking another drink before he replies. “Riku, Axel saved both of us yesterday.” The Prince reminds him calmly.

“Yes, he did and I am grateful for that.” Riku says. “But it doesn’t make sense that he came back to us. Why would he return to the people holding him captive?”

Roxas pauses, staring down at the ground. He isn’t really sure of that himself either, even after speaking with the redhead about it the previous night. The realization gives him a swift bitter feeling in his gut, beginning to understand what the knight is talking about. Admitting it isn’t an easy task though, so instead Roxas deflects.

“Riku, surely you must be exhausted from questioning my decisions as of late.” He bites out.

The knight’s eyes widen in surprise at his tone, then he looks down in guilt. “Forgive me, you’re right.” He says lowly.

The Prince closes his eyes and exhales, instantly regretting his words. “No. Don’t do that.” He mutters, gesturing to Riku’s timid expression. “I apologize, it’s just-“

“ _Hey!_ You guys just twiddling your thumbs over there?” Axel calls to them from the treeline. “Let’s go, the coast is clear!” He yells.

Roxas glares heatedly in Axel direction at his rudeness, but complies nonetheless, jogging to his horse and mounting it. When him and Riku meet the redhead at the clearing of the forest they begin riding at a quicker pace alongside the river.

“We should be able to reach Hollow Bastian in a few hours if we go quickly.” The redhead calls to them as they gallop. “And once we’re in town, I know of a few stables we can load the horses up in at night.” He announces.

The other two nod and allow Axel to lead for the rest of the duration of their trip. Amazingly enough, they don’t encounter anyone else along the way. When Roxas sees the beginnings of the large town start to appear, he is truly surprised at how big it is. Even from a distance, it looks like it could be three or four times larger than Traverse Town. The border of the town is surrounded by thick stone walls that stretch around it entirely.

“Is this town guarded?” Riku calls to Axel.

The redhead shakes his head. “Maybe at one time it was. However, it’s just for show now.” He responds. Roxas swallows thickly, wondering about how devastating the war must have truly been to affect such a large nation. They’ve only been travelling a few days and the Prince is certain the forests were the size of the Islands put together.

As they draw nearer and nearer, Roxas feels a nervous sensation begin to build and makes sure his hood is pulled up high over his head to shield himself. They slow their horses down to a walk just as they cross the border walls, and as they enter the town the blond realizes quickly that his instinctual feeling was onto something. The streets of the town are fairly crowded much like Traverse Town, but the big difference that Roxas sees right away is that there’s a lot of beggars in the streets. For every one he saw in Traverse Town, there’s about six or seven in Hollow Bastian and most of them look to be younger than the Prince.

He can’t deny that it tugs at his emotions, hating to see innocents having to try and live in such an environment. A lot of them look sick as well, some sleeping on the sides of the street curled into balls. The blond knows that he isn’t in much of a position to do anything about it though, especially with Axel’s warning of the town being dangerous.

His attention is grabbed by a man speaking to a crowd of people gathered around him nearby. He’s standing on some kind of a raised platform, so he’s visible to all the people he addresses as he speaks. The man is clearly angered by something, his eyes wide and angry as he waves his arms around.

“It’s been five days of work without payment. A pay that barely gets us and our families by as it is.”  He calls out to the people. Among the crowd, one of them shouts out an agreement.

“I’ve come to find out that the one’s responsible for it are those bloody Islanders.” The man continues, his tone ice cold. Roxas narrows his eyes at the man.

“After King Xehanort went to their treaty reunion, the Island King threatened our people with sanctions if we didn’t increase our rate of production in the next coming years.” He yells loudly. Some of the people in the crowd start yelling out curses and insults, saying the Islanders are greedy and vile.

Roxas actually stops his horse to continue listening to the man, unable to continue following Riku and Axel as the man speaks. Was this true? Did his father say such a thing?

“And what did King Xehanort say?” One of the people in the crowd calls to him.

The man looks down at the person before addressing the crowd again. “Our King is no fool; he knows that the Islanders will stop at nothing to get what they want, even if it is at the expense and exploitation of others.”

Roxas’ jaw tenses at those words and he grips the reigns of his horses tightly as the townspeople holler in agreement.

“He begged that evil man for compensation to adjust for the increase in labour. But to no avail, the Island King laughed in his face as if it was a joke told by his jester.” He calls out. The people are starting to boo now, and Roxas looks to the side when he hears his name called lowly.

He looks up to see Riku and Axel farther down the streets, the two of them staring at him with stern looks and urging him to follow along. The Prince looks back to the man speaking again, unable to ignore his words as he yells loudly.

“At what point will those gluttonous leeches stop sucking our resources away from us?! How is it they get to have such a strong hold over our nation and its laws, while we sit here and watch our people struggle to live!?” He roars.

Roxas’ chest gets tight seeing the way the man continues to speak about his father and the way the crowd seems to get angrier and angrier, then commands his horse to follow after Riku and Axel two quickly.

When they’re a safe distance away from the crowd, Riku speaks up. “Roxas, you need to stay alert in this town or-“

“What was that man talking about, Axel?” The blond interrupts the knight, turning his head to stare at the redhead.

Axel gives him a blank look before casting his eyes downwards, not saying anything in response. His silence takes the blond by surprise, and even more so when Axel begins to ride ahead of them to effectively cut off any more conversation on the topic.

The Prince is stunned by the redhead’s actions, his mouth hanging open ever so slightly. The streets are too crowded and loud for him to try and yell over top of it, so he’s left with having the glare at the back of Axel’s head while he leads them down the various streets of Hollow Bastion.

* * *

Cloud finishes tying his belt to his hips and then unsheathes his training sword by the hilt. He grips it in one hand easily and turns to face Leon, who is standing several feet away from him. The brunet stands silently with his own practice sword in his hand, patiently waiting for Cloud to finish getting ready so they can begin sparring.

After their match during the Celebration, the blond was convinced that Leon let him win on purpose as to appease his father and Xehanort. While his knight wouldn’t admit this aloud to Cloud, the blond was fairly certain such was the case. He wanted to find a way to prove it, so he decided to ask Leon to spar again. Unfortunately with how hectic things have been in the castle, finding time to do such a feat proved to be a challenge.

Today though, Cloud had enough of dealing with everything going on in the castle. In the middle of a meeting with members of his father’s council, he excused himself due to sickness and found himself wandering the halls of the Royal Guard. Whether it was by choice or coincidence the Prince wasn’t entirely sure, but either way he spent some time walking about until he located Leon in one of the briefing rooms, discussing the continued searches with some other men.

He looked surprised when Cloud requested the knight to come with him, but at the same time he didn’t seemed bothered in the slightest by it as he excused himself to follow the Prince. Only when they were out of earshot did Cloud tell him that he needed a break from work.

Leon gave him a raised eyebrow. “My Prince, I’m not sure how I’d be able to help you relax.” He said.

Cloud suppressed a small smirk at the words. “You’ll come to see soon enough then.” He simply replied, walking towards the armoury. Only when he retrieved two sparring swords is when Leon fully understood what the Prince meant. After that, they began making their way to the southern gardens and Cloud was pleased to see that it was completely empty.

Now as they stand across from each other, Cloud can already feel some of his tension beginning to dissipate. He grips his sword in two hands and falls into his ready stance, watching Leon do the same. They give each other a quick nod before beginning, both of them dashing towards each other in an offensive attack.

It’s the exact same way they started their match the last time they sparred, which amuses Cloud a little bit. He stares at Leon for a moment as their swords collide with each other with a loud clang, then pulls back enough so he can shift his weight and slash at the brunet with a quick swipe. Leon gasps quietly at the quick movement and then jumps back enough to miss the swing.

The brunet adjusts himself quickly and lashes back towards Cloud with a fierce swing, but the Prince has learned from their previous fight that another swing will follow quickly after so instead of blocking he jumps back far, easily missing the brunet’s attacks.

Leon charges at him again right after though, so this time Cloud parries his jab with a quick slice of his sword and then leaps to the side quickly with an upward slash at his arm. His quick movement catches the knight off guard and he stumbles back from the impact of Cloud’s attack. He grunts as he does so, planting his feet firm again and then taking a moment to survey the Prince.

As they continue to spar Cloud chooses to be light on his feet as he moves, so he is able to dodge the brunet’s attacks. He knows now that it’s best for him to focus on dodging Leon’s attacks instead of trying to block them, because the knight’s swings are full of such power it takes too much effort to try and counter-attack. His light movements prove beneficial, as Cloud manages to land another quick hit on the knight. They both become worked up and out of breath from fighting and Cloud can tell that Leon is getting frustrated that he isn’t able to retaliate against the blond’s attacks.

It doesn’t stop Cloud from continuing to fight the way he is though, moving quickly and getting quick jabs in on the knight. Leon makes a sudden sharp decision and waits for Cloud to swing his sword at the knight. When the Prince does, Leon turns his body out of the way to dodge the vertical slash and raises his sword to strike the Prince in the chest before he can defend himself.

Unfortunately, Cloud isn’t fast enough this time to dodge the knight’s attack and the blow sends him backwards. He lands on the ground harshly, his training sword falling from his grip and clattering to the ground. Seconds later Leon is kneeling in front of him, concern in his eyes.

“Prince Cloud, are you alright?” He asks in a rush, his grey eyes in a panic.

The Prince nods his head quickly as he catches his breath, feeling the wind knocked out of him after he landed on his back. He sits up and accepts the hand that Leon offers him, brushing his clothes off hastily. When he’s done he gives the knight another glance, seeing the guilt in his eyes.

Cloud purses his lips, crossing his arms at the brunet. “I knew you it. You let me win last time.” He declares, his eyes challenging Leon to deny it.

At first, the knight is taken aback by his words, before catching on and giving him a hard stare. “You were testing me?” He asks. It doesn’t sound like the brunet is bothered by his actions, simply surprised.

Cloud doesn’t break his gaze. “You told me you weren’t going to go easy on me.” He states coolly.

“I didn’t, My Lord.” Leon assures him sternly. “You fought better than I that day.” He says.

The Prince can’t help rolling his eyes. “Enough of that mindless praise. Why did you throw the match?” He asks.

The brunet frowns at Cloud, looking to the ground and exhaling slowly. “At first I didn’t plan on, but I didn’t want the glory taken from you, My Lord.” Leon explains. “It would have been shameful for you to lose to one of your knights.”

“One of the _Royal Guards_ , who also happens to be my personal guardian.” He corrects.

Leon looks up to him and when their gazes meet, Cloud can’t deny the excitement prickling underneath his skin. “But I understand why you chose to do what you did and you have my thanks.” The Prince adds.

He sees the knight swallow and nod once, looking to the side for a moment with a blank expression. He looks like he’s in thought, like he may be deciding on whether he should say something else or not.

Eventually he does speak up again, meeting Cloud’s eyes. “So, you were baiting me during that spar.” He concludes quietly.

The blond gives a small shrug of his shoulder, then sees how the knight’s lip quirks upwards. “Sounds like you threw this match.” He challenges with a slight tilt of his head.

The Prince feels himself matching the knight’s amused expression, not backing down. “I suppose that’s a fair assumption to make.” He replies casually, glancing to the side as his smirk grows.

Leon lets out a breath of amusement. “So, there’s only one thing left to do.” He says, walking over to pick up the sword Cloud dropped earlier. When he passes it back to the Prince, Cloud is sure his face gives everything away but Leon simply stands in front of him, holding his sword at his side.

“For real this time.” The knight says, his face becoming more serious.

The blond raises his chin confidently, nodding and then taking a few steps backwards to prepare himself. He tenses his hand around the handle of his blade and waits for Leon to give him a gesture to begin before he charges at the knight first.

He wraps both hands around his blade to swing in an upwards diagonal motion at the man and watches him bring his sword up to defend himself quickly. Then Leon reacts sharply, swinging his blade in a horizontal sweep. Cloud ducks the assault and thrusts his sword forward to try and get a jab in, but Leon angles his sword downward to ward the attack away.

Leon begins moving on the offensive, swinging his sword with a grunt at the blond. Cloud grits hit teeth as he blocks the hits, having no time to try and dodge the attacks. He parries another one of the knight’s jabs and swings his blade at the man roughly, making Leon jump back a few feet to dodge the blow.

The blond uses the small opportunity to adjust his balance and twirls his sword slowly as he sees Leon approach him. This time when the knight brings his arms high to strike at the Prince, Cloud raises his sword up as well to block him even before he attacks. He uses the momentum to push their swords to the side then pulls back quickly to begin a string of assaults.

He moves forwards as he thrusts his sword at Leon, watching the brunet grit his teeth as he struggles to defend Cloud’s charges. The blond thinks he’s about to land a hit until Leon shifts his weight and throws his shoulder into Cloud’s chest to force him away. The Prince is surprised by the move, stumbling backwards to catch his balance.

He straightens himself quickly enough to catch Leon dashing at his with both hands on his blade as he drives in down in a jump strike. He brings his arm up to his blade to aid in his block, then turns the sword horizontally to block the follow up attack Leon attempts from a different angle. He takes a heavy breath as he swings at the brunet hastily, watching their swords meet in a quick clang before Cloud pulls back and kneels, striking at the back of Leon’s leg. He rolls out of the way as Leon grunts in pain, swinging his sword at the ground in a rough counter attack.

Cloud stands back up and wastes no time in slashing towards the knight again. Leon’s parries his attacks and then counters with a heavy swing, knocking the sword out of the Prince’s hands. His eyes widen as the sword flies a distance away, clanging on the ground. He refuses to let it be over like this though, and glances back towards the knight as he stalks towards him to prevent the blond from grabbing his sword.

Cloud dodges out of the way as Leon swipes at him, then decides in the moment if there’s any way for him to come back from this he’s going to have to do things a little unorthodox. The adrenaline rushing through his veins at the moment is enough for him to try it anyway though, feeling addicted to how excited he is right now. He's never felt this much of a thrill sparring with someone before, quickly beginning to crave more and more of it.

The Prince watches Leon slash at him vertically and twists his body out of the way quickly, closing in on the knight to drive his foot into the man’s wrist. Leon lets out a small cry of pain, clenching his jaw and dropping his sword to the ground from the force of Cloud’s kick. The knight responds sharply though, using his free hand to grab a hold of the blond’s wrist to try and restrain him.

They grapple with each other for a few moments, Leon wincing when he tries to use his other hand to fend off Cloud. The blond feels a splice of guilt for being perhaps a little bit too rough for sparring, but the thought is immediately squashed when Leon catches his foot as he shifts his weight forward, tripping the Prince. He manages to break his fall slightly, but when he rolls over to try and stand back up, Leon throws himself on top of the blond, gripping the front of his shirt in one hand and using his other to force the blond to stay down on the ground.

They both stay still in the position for some time, each of them accepting the conclusion of their fight and panting heavily. Cloud’s not sure at what point it happened, but one of his hands is now resting atop of Leon’s still gripping his shirt. The two of them are staring at each other intently, neither breaking eye contact as they begin to catch their breaths.

Cloud’s the first to break the silence, even though he would be content staying like this for much longer. “Did I hurt your wrist?” He asks carefully, glancing down at the hand.

The knight glances down at their hands touching and then swallows thickly, but doesn’t pull it away. “It’ll be fine. I’ll just go see the Maester later.” He says.

“Good.” Cloud says, watching the knight rise from their position. He’d be lying if he said he’s disappointed at the fact, but he also knows it wouldn’t be very favourable if someone were to walk in the gardens and see them in such a way together. He supresses the frown that wants to come to his face at the thought and accepts Leon’s hand to help him up again, thanking the brunet quietly.

“You really stuck that out to the end. I’m impressed.” Leon compliments.

Cloud offers a small smile, feeling much more elated on the inside hearing it come from the knight. “You said for real.” He recalls, shrugging lightly. “I fought for real.”

The knight matches his expression, closing his eyes and letting out a small breath of amusement. “It was a close match.” He says. “The kick took me off guard though. I’ll have to remember that for next time.”

The Prince gets a thrilling sensation in his stomach hearing those words come from Leon, and opens his mouth to respond to the brunet but it cut off when he hears his name being called. Cloud looks towards the doors leading back into the castle, seeing Aerith and a servant standing there, both visibly upset.

Leon and Cloud share a look before running towards them. The Prince furrows his eyebrows when they get closer and see that the two are crying, trying to keep themselves under control.

Cloud approaches them, his eyes concerned. “Aerith? What’s the matter?” He asks gently, reaching out to grasp her hands to try and comfort her.

She looks down at their hands then up to Cloud, shaking her head. The brunette sniffles before she opens her mouth. “Oh…oh Cloud.” She tries, pulling her hands away to weep quietly. Cloud stares at her with worry and confusion, looking to the maid next to her for some kind of explanation.

She wrings her hands in front of her, then wipes at her face as a tear trails down her cheek. “It’s your father, Prince Cloud.” She says, her voice shaking. “He’s just been pronounced dead.”


	10. Nightfall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhh hello my lovelies! It's so good to be updating, I've been itching to get this out! Anytime I received a notification from you guys it made me so eager to get through my busy 2 weeks. I was able to write this out in just a few days and as promised, it's a little longer than usual.
> 
> I really hope you guys like it and thank you for your kudos and comments. They mean so much!! 😊

As they ride along the streets filled with people, Roxas keeps his eyes glued to the back of Axel’s hooded head and clenches his jaw every couple of seconds. The urge to yell out to the redhead is high, but causing a scene in town wouldn’t be the wisest of choices. So, the Prince is left with no other option other than trying to glare daggers into the back of his head, silently fuming and waiting for an opportunity to question him further.

They ride for what feels like much longer than it probably is, considering Roxas’ impatience mixed with his annoyance towards the redhead, but eventually Axel halts his horse in front of a worn-down looking building and stares up at the sign. Roxas and Riku both turn their heads upward to follow his gaze, staring at the small wooden sign hanging by rusted chains and its dark paint chipped away in several places. Still, the cursive words spelling out, ‘Destiny’s Embrace’ entrance Roxas for another moment of silence before he turns his attention to Axel, seeing the redhead lower himself from his horse and grabbing one of their bags.

The older man pauses for a moment, lowering his hood and brushing some of his loose spikes sticking out of his ponytail behind his ear, as if he is trying to adjust his appearance. Roxas quirks an eyebrow, sharing a quick glance with Riku as he lowers himself from the horse.

“I’ll stay and watch the horses.” The knight murmurs, riding over to the other steeds to grasp their reigns. Roxas gives him a quick nod in response, his attitude changing as he glances back to Axel and sees him now trying to straighten his clothes. He follows the redhead up the small steps to the building, frowning as he hears Axel murmuring to himself.

“She’s gonna kill me as soon as she sees me.” The redhead mutters to himself.

Roxas can only frown deeper in confusion, choosing to stay silent and follow the taller man into the building as he unlatches the thick wooden door. A bell chimes as he does so, and Roxas looks up to it for a moment before hearing a sweet voice call to them from inside the room.

“Welcome to Destiny’s Embrace, what can I-“ the girl’s voice pauses.

Roxas looks to her, taking in the young girl with auburn hair that is tied in a loose low bun with some strands falling out to frame her delicate face. She’s dressed in a simple tan dress with trumpet sleeves and a thin white belt looping around her waist several times. The girl stands on the opposite side of the room next to a table and chair, with a book open and now forgotten as her bright blue eyes stare at Axel in shock.

Nobody else is in the room, and none of them say anything before she blinks once. “Axel?” She asks hesitantly, her hands coming together in front of her in a loose ball.

The redhead offers her a weak smile, nodding at her. “Long time no see, Kairi.” He offers quietly, dropping Roxas’ bag to the ground with a quiet thud. Roxas has never heard him speak with such a soft tone, his voice sounding so gentle it’s like he’s treading across a slim sheet of ice.

In a second she’s stalking towards them, her pretty cobalt blues changed from shock to deep set anger so quickly Roxas isn’t sure when they shifted. When she’s in front of Axel her hand comes back quickly and a loud slap rings across the room, catching Roxas off guard as his own eyes widen in shock.

Axel’s head is turned to the side towards Roxas from the force of the slap and his eyes are shut tight, almost like he’s expecting another one to follow. When it doesn’t come, he cracks an eye open and turns his head towards her slowly.

“I deserved that.” He says quietly.

Her expression remains hostile, like she’s ready to strike once more. “Start talking.” She bites out.

“You know how work goes. One mission takes me halfway across the nation, only to land me another in a different direction and time slips by.” He reasons.

Roxas stares at them close by, trying to figure out what is going on from the sidelines and feeling perfectly okay with being flat out ignored by the two of them. The Prince actually winces a bit as another slap catches Axel across the face, practically feeling the force of it from where he’s standing.

“Nu uh. Not good enough, try again.” She commands. Roxas hears a slight crack in her voice as she says it.

Axel’s eyes meet hers again. “The inn is looking good, I see you’ve got new-“

Her hands comes up again, but this time the redhead steps back sharply to avoid it, bringing his hands up. “Okay, okay!” He states in defeat, grumbling slightly. “I’m sorry, I know I’ve been gone for so long. But I’m here now, right? Doesn’t that count for something?” He offers sheepishly.

She raises her chin at him in a challenge and Roxas thinks it reminds him of how _he_ tends to look when Axel says something that he isn’t sure if he can believe or not. She doesn’t move for a few moments, then crossing her arms and looks away from him with her eyes closed.

“What do you want, you lazy oaf?” She asks in a grumbled manner.

Axel cracks the slightest of smiles. “Come on, you think I only come to see you when I need something? I just want to rent a couple of rooms for the night.” He says.

That seems to catch her by surprise, turning to him and starring at him with a hint of confusion. “You’re staying in the city?” She asks.

“Just for the night. I trust you can make space for us?” Axel muses, arching an eyebrow at her playfully.

“Of course I could.” She huffs out. “That doesn’t mean I will for you though.” The girl adds.

Axel chuckles a little bit, looking pleased with her now instead of remorseful. “If not for me, then for my employers. This is Roxas, and there’s another outside with the horses called Riku. They’ve hired me to escort them west.” He explains simply.

Her gaze becomes less guarded as she looks to Roxas finally, clearly sizing him up. She’s petite and probably his age or younger, but she looks like she could put up a decent fight and the thought worries him as her expression stays unreadable.

Roxas decides to initiate first, holding his hand out to her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Kairi.” He says.

She seems a little surprised at his sweet words, then looks at his hand. She places it in his and brings her other hand to her lips in fluster as the Prince gives the back of her hand a soft kiss.

“Oh my, such manners.” She coos, her face reddening slightly. She smiles at him though once he lowers her hand. “I apologize for my behaviour just now. I’m sure you’ve become aware of his doltish antics.” She quips in, giving Axel a quick narrowed gaze.

The redhead tilts his head back. “It’s as if I’ve come to see my mother.” He groans, rubbing a hand over his head.

Kairi raises her eyebrows at him. “Your mother would have done much worse to you if she knew of your absence as of late.” She retorts.

Roxas feels a lump in his throat at her words: _would have_ and _if,_ as if she isn’t around anymore.

But Axel simply gives a breath of amusement, crossing his arms lazily and staring at her once again. “Yes, I suppose you are correct.” He muses.

Before anyone can get another word in, the doorbell is signaled from behind them and each of them turn back to look at Riku.

“Axel, a man named Goofy just came by and said he recognized you in the streets. He took our horses to his stable.” The knight explains quickly. He looks to Kairi next, then straightens up. “My apologies, did I interrupt?”

The auburn-haired girl is the first to respond. “Oh, not at all.” She says, stepping forward. “You must be Riku.”

The knight blinks at her. “Yes, My Lady. I’m afraid I don’t have the pleasure of knowing your name.” He responds politely, bowing his head.

“My name is Kairi.” She replies shyly, her face flushing once more.

Riku gives her a charming smile to Axel’s dismay, Roxas seeing the redhead stare very blatantly at the knight. “A lovely name, I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before.” The knight says.

Now Axel is full out frowning at Riku and looking very annoyed with him. Unfortunately for the redhead, Kairi is clearly pleased with the compliment as well. “Gee, Axel. Have you ever worked for anyone with such etiquette?” She teases.

“Oh, you’d be surprised with their etiquette alright.” The redhead says knowingly. Roxas has to resists rolling his eyes.

Kairi doesn’t though, which brings a small smirk to his face. “Only you could drive such well-mannered men to insanity.” She taunts.

“It’s only been five minutes and I’m getting scrutinized like no other!” The redhead cries out.

The Prince can’t help the small chuckle escape his lips at his reaction, but immediately halts when Axel looks at him skeptically. They stare at each other for a few seconds before the redhead turns to Kairi once more.

“I’d better go help that old dog with the horses, lest he throws his back out.” Axel says.

“You just got here and your leaving?” Kairi asks with a frown.

Axel is already out the door, waving at her quickly. “I’ll be back in a bit! Don’t let those two get into trouble!” He calls.

She just shakes her head at him and then sighs, walking to the door and closing it. Kairi turns to the two of them after and offers a small smile. “Sometimes I fear he is going to be the death of me.” She drawls.

Roxas lets out a small breath of amusement, but can’t deny the weird feeling in his chest with the familiarity in her tone as she speaks of the redhead. He immediately recognizes the blanket of envy, but can only wonder why it lays across his mind at this moment.

“But I suppose with a man like that, he keeps you worried all the time.” Kairi adds.

“Perhaps a Lady might set her focus towards another.” Riku teases, giving her a small wink.

She eats it up, giggling and turning back to close her book. “Quite the charmer you are. Come, I will show you each to a room.” Kairi says, beginning to walk towards the front desk. Her steps are light, but the old wood creaks beneath her feet as she moves.

“You are most kind to take us in, Lady Kairi.” Riku says.

Roxas is a little surprised with the knight’s demeanor towards her. He’s never seen Riku so openly flirtatious with someone before. What he thought was innocent looks and jests laced with amour with Sora was nothing compared to the way Riku speaks with Kairi at the moment. The Prince must have not read those two so well after all.

She waves a hand as she produces to keys from behind the desk. “Anyone who has Axel’s trust has mine.” She says freely. That makes Roxas almost frown, but he forces a tight smile and mentally kicks his frivolous feelings of envy again. He stays silent they follow Kairi past a door and start down a small hallway lined with doors. She unlocks one and enters. Riku gives Roxas a gesture to take the room, so the blond follows in wordlessly.

He takes in the small room with a single bed and small wooden table that looks lopsided standing next to it with a small vase filled with fresh flowers.

“Here you are Roxas. The restroom is on the other side of that main room we were just in.” She says with a sweet smile. “Shall I draw you a bath tonight before or after dinner?” She asks.

The blond blinks at her, feeling like he’s speaking with one of his servants for a moment. “Dinner?” He asks, perking up. It had been so long since he ate a proper meal.

The auburn-haired girl nods. “Yes, we serve dinner just after sundown.” She explains.

Roxas nearly licks his lips at the thought. “A bath beforehand would be wonderful, thank you Kairi.” He says.

She gives him a warm smile, which makes him feel bad about his envy. “Of course. I’ll let you know when it’s ready.” She informs him.

The petite girl leaves the metal key on his table before taking her leave and closing the door behind her gently. Roxas can hear her and Riku speaking softly down the hallway as she shows him to his room. He isn’t sure how long it’s going to take to have his bath prepared, so he sets down his bag and the sits on the edge of his bed. The Prince rests his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, sighing. Why did his mind have to go and make things more complicated than they already were? Having to deal with his and Axel’s strange relationship was trouble enough, now he had to go and introduce a pretty girl into the picture?

Gods, he shouldn’t even be thinking about all of this right now. None of it was worth any worry in comparison to Sora’s whereabouts and safety, but he’d be damned if he could ever have control of his thoughts. The blond lets out an aggravated sigh and flops his back onto the bed, closing his eyes in defeat.

He begins dozing off, still unquestionably tired until a light rapping comes from behind the door. “Roxas?” Kairi calls to him. “Your bath is ready, I’ll show you where it is.” She says.

The Prince sits up, rubbing at his heavy eyes. “Coming.” He says back before yawning quietly and standing up to grab a spare pair of clothes to change into. He makes sure to grab his key then opens the door quietly. Kairi smiles at him and asks him to follow her back into the main room.

“Riku tells me you two are from Traverse Town.” She says as they walk through the room. Roxas finds himself nodding, glad that the knight already gave her a cover story.

“I’ve always wanted to travel there.” She muses. “I hear the beaches are lovely.”

 _Not as lovely as the Islands_ , Roxas thinks to himself. Plus, there weren’t men in taverns waiting to kidnap you and hold you for ransom. But he puts on a face, finding it easy to lie. “Yes, they truly are. When the sun sets over them, you’d swear you’ve never seen such beauty.” He explains. That really wasn’t a lie if he was speaking about the Islands. Sure he hadn’t stayed long enough in Traverse Town to see a sunset for himself, but the Prince felt confident in his opinion anyhow.

Kairi closes her eyes for a moment. “It sounds amazing. Perhaps one day I should be lucky enough to witness one.” She muses.

“Why hasn’t Axel taken you? You both seem close.” He asks without thinking, pausing for a split second before saying the word ‘close’ and hopes the girl didn’t hear his slip up.

She opens her eyes again and they stop in front of another door, seemingly not noticing. “Hm? Oh, Axel would never take me anywhere with him. Says it’s much too dangerous out there.” She explains easily. Her responds seems to quell something inside of him, but before Roxas can get anything else in she changes the subject. “Here’s the bathing room. If you leave your old garments in there, I will have them washed by morning.” She says.

The blond nods, thanking her quietly and entering the room. He gets to work undressing himself quickly, his thoughts lingering over their conversation. It was true that Traverse Town was dangerous, but Axel himself said Hollow Bastian was just as bad if not worse so why would he deny taking Kairi there? Could it be that there was nothing romantic existing between the two? Perhaps again he was simply misreading dynamics and overanalyzing things.

Roxas shakes his head as the last of his clothes hit the ground and he walks over to the small wooden bathing tub, filed with steaming water and a few cloths folded neatly and a small pendant of soap sitting atop a clay cylinder. There’s even a single candle lit alongside the oil lamp burning by the door.

He lowers himself inside and begins working to scrub away the days of dirt and sweat built up on his skin. He feels gross having waited this long to do so, but loves the relief that comes with cleaning himself. He coats his hands in a lather of soap and works to massage at his sore neck, wincing when he pushes too hard and hisses at the pain. He decides to not bother the strained muscle anymore and works to washing his hair.

By the time he’s done the water is the dirtiest he’s ever seen after a bath and the blond grimaces slightly, once again feeling foul. But as he emerges from the waters and begins drying himself off, he can say it’s made a great improvement to how he feels and the cloths smell of a fresh flowery scent. He closes his eyes as he breathes it in, then begins dressing himself in his undergarments, simple tan trousers and a shirt. He folds his dirty clothes up at places them on the table, alongside his used towel and then exits the room.

As he glances back into the main room, he sees that Axel has returned, sitting next to Kairi and across from Riku at one of the dining tables. There’s another few people eating quietly at another table nearby, but Roxas pays them no mind as he approaches.

Axel notices and lets out an elated noise. “Alright Kairi, we’ve waited for him. Now let’s eat, _please._ ” He begs, placing a hand to his stomach dramatically. Roxas reluctantly takes a seat across from the redhead, refusing to meet his eyes even though he knows that just feeds into his pettiness about the whole situation further.

The blue-eyed girl begins collecting their plates. “Such a tragic sight you are.” She says to Axel sarcastically. When she takes Roxas’ plate he looks up to nod at her and she winks at him playfully. He feels the corner of his lips tug upwards and watches her walk to another room to gather their food.

“Oi love, could ya bring me some more ale please?” A man calls to Kairi. She turns her head over her shoulder and nods to him with a smile. He holds up his cup to her in thanks and once she’s past the door Roxas narrows his eyes at Axel.

“Now that we have a moment, care to explain why you ran off so suddenly when I asked about that man in the square?” The Prince asks lowly, crossing his arms over the table.

The redhead’s eyes trail to his as his face remains blank, before he takes a sip from his cup. “No, I don’t think I will.” He replies simply, setting the mug down.

Roxas feels his eyes narrowing further, and has to restrain grinding his teeth in frustration. “Why not?”

Axel’s eyes glint for a moment. “‘Cause I don’t want to.” He says. His tone is knowing, reminding the Prince of when he spoke the same words to the redhead several nights ago at the inn in Traverse Town.

“I demand you tell me.” Roxas commands fiercely, feeling his anger boil quicker than normal. Getting heated with the man feels easy right now and he’s pretty sure it’s because of his jealousy. Not that he would ever admit it out loud.

Axel shrugs his shoulders lazily. “Oh you demand it, huh? Well in that case,” he says as he leans forward over the table towards Roxas. “Then the answer is _definitely no_.” He answers lowly, giving the Prince a hard stare.

The blond nearly brings his fist to the man’s face but Kairi is suddenly returning from what he can only assume is the kitchen with a few plates of food and a pitcher. Roxas is pretty sure she would take his side if he did strike the man, because she seemed privy to hitting Axel as well. Still, he doesn’t want her asking questions about them so he holds his tongue. She brings the two plates to Riku and Roxas, setting the steaming food down in front of them. The knight thanks her with a flashing smile and she grins back at him brightly, then walks to pour the man across the room another drink. He thanks her quietly and slips her a coin, to which she coos a thank you of her own.

She returns to the kitchen and comes back to serve one plate to Axel, then the last to herself as she sits down once more. Her chair scrapes along the wooden floor with a loud creak, but she pays it no mind. “Please, dig in!” She insists, gesturing to Roxas and Riku when they don’t start eating immediately. They both pick up their utensils and begin eating the food wordlessly. The Prince nearly lets out a sigh of relief, not realizing how much of a difference it made to be consuming a proper meal for the first time in days. It felt good to enjoy that feeling. Riku compliments the girl’s cooking skills, which earns him a playful wink from Kairi and a very unimpressed look from Axel. It makes the blond smirk for a moment before he takes another bite of food to hide it, even though he’s pretty sure the redhead caught him. Roxas feels a bit smug that Axel was getting annoyed by Riku’s friendly behaviour and Kairi’s responses to it.

Throughout the meal Kairi and Axel speak to each other about things in the town, or people that Axel hasn’t seen in some time. Whenever the redhead speaks Roxas feels his blood pressure grow steadily and does his best not to stab at his meat on the plate too harshly. Riku joins into the conversation as well, the knight still courteous as ever to the auburn-haired girl. He asks her about the inn, to which they learn that Kairi is mainly responsible for running it on her own. Her father is the owner, but has fallen sick recently so she’s been tasked with keeping everything running smoothly. Roxas looks to the table with a solemn expression, thinking back to all of the people he saw today in the streets of Hollow Bastian, their sickly faces embedded into his mind.

Still, Kairi is either overly optimistic or good at hiding her worry regarding the situation because she smiles and says that she’s sure her father will return to good health in no time. The topic changes quickly once again as Kairi asks Riku about their travels thus far. Roxas takes a little bit more pleasure in the fact that anytime the girl gets flustered or even smiles at whatever Riku has to say, he sees Axel’s jaw tense like he wants to tell the silver-haired man to back off.

It doesn’t take long before each of them has finished their meals and Kairi excuses herself first as she gathers their empty plates. Axel shoos her off to the other tables to clean up after the men and grabs the plates to bring them to the back to the kitchen. Though his gesture is kind, Roxas glares at the man and wishes he could launch a fireball at his fat head. He chants the spell in his head over and over again, finding no relief in the mental imagery.

“Does what that man said bug you that much Roxas?” Riku asks him quietly, sensing the hostility still present in the air. “He was just a commoner. He could be spreading misinformation.” He suggests.

The Prince blinks in surprise for a moment, before frowning. He knows that, yet he can’t help but think for all they know he could be spreading the truth as well; it’s not like he would know for sure himself. His father never spoke of political affairs with his sons. Perhaps Cloud knew some details seeing as he was next to inherit the throne, but even then it was unlikely considering how little he revealed to them.

Roxas grunts in response, taking a drink from his cup. “It’s not simply that. He just infuriates me.” The Prince grits out, setting his cup down harshly as he stares at the door in which Axel disappeared behind moments ago. One of the men glances over at their table from across the room at them curiously.

The knight is silent for a few seconds before responding. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone get under your skin so easily.” Riku muses, slipping his leather gloves back on.

The blond’s jaw tenses at the comment, gripping his cup. “He’s a pompous, full-of-himself, smug imbecile who thinks he can do whatever he wants-“ he cuts himself off as he catches Riku’s amused expression. The knight quickly corrects it to one of seriousness when Roxas glares at him and the Prince raises his drink to his lips once more.

The silver-haired teen still tries to lighten the mood.  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were infatuated with the man.” He jokes lightly.

Roxas chokes on his drink, sputtering it out on the tables and coughing loudly. The other people in the room along with Riku stare at him in silence as he bumps his fist harshly against his chest in an attempt to regain his breath. When he does, he looks to Riku once again he tries his best to keep his poker face in tact, but Riku’s eyes go wide at his reaction, or perhaps at his attempt to cover it up is very weak.

“Roxas?” He asks very quietly, his voice hesitant.

The blond breaks eye contact after another moment, looking down. “Don’t be ridiculous.” He mumbles, coughing once again and taking a drink in an attempt to soothe his throat.

Riku swallows thickly, pausing for a moment before he speaks again. “You are, aren’t you?” He asks with a growing certainty in his voice. It sprouts plants of doubt and fear in the blond’s mind, so he grits his teeth in an attempt to control himself.

“Shut up Riku,” he bites out harshly. He nearly curses himself for not even denying it.

The knight chooses to ignore him though as he continues. “I get it now. It took me awhile… but that’s why you’ve been acting the way you have been lately.” Riku muses aloud quietly, his voice just above a whisper. It’s almost like he’s speaking to himself, but his words are a confirmation of anxiety in Roxas’ ears and he balls his fists tightly in his lap.

“Riku, you would be wise to shut your mouth before I-“

“You’ve never had to put on a front before,” Riku interrupts. “So you’re bad at hiding it.” He points out calmly, not intimidated in the slightest.

Roxas’ mouth is open in shock, and he stares at the knight for a second longer in fear before he pushes himself away from the table, suddenly feeling like the world is spinning and his chest is collapsing in on itself. He doesn’t look at Riku as he scrambles away, practically running towards the hallway of rooms and slamming the door to his room behind him. It’s not even out of anger, but a desire to be as far away from everyone as possible at the moment. With his back pressed against the door he heaves heavily like something on the other side is trying to take him. Why can he hear his pulse beating in his ears?

Light knocking from the door nearly sends him forward to hide behind the small bed, but he manages to keep his feet planted in place even as he feels his palms start to sweat.

“Open the door Roxas,” Riku says quietly from the other side of the thick wood.

Roxas shakes his head back and forth, unable to find his voice over the fear of what might happen if he did. Would Riku berate him? Tie him up and take him back to his father to confess his truth? Or even worse, strike him down where he stands?

“Don’t make me come in there and drag you out myself.” The knight continues after a moment of silence. Roxas stills at his tone, hearing a bit of playfulness in it like when Riku taunts him or Sora. It catches him off guard, not expecting such a comment from him.

The Prince glances down for another moment before gritting his teeth and deciding he’s not one to back down in fear. He opens the door to stare at Riku with a hard gaze, trying to convince himself to not be afraid.

Riku doesn’t say anything for a moment, his serious eyes reading Roxas and making the blond feel rather small. That is, until the silver-haired teen speaks. “It’s best if no one hears what I’m to say.” He explains quietly.

Roxas blinks, thinking that perhaps the knight is going to just give him a stern talking to regarding his duties as a Prince rather than yell at him. He swallows, accepting the fact that it’s better to any other alternative and nods once, stepping back to let the knight enter his room. He doesn’t turn back around to face Riku until he’s shut the door and he keeps his hand on the knob for a few extra seconds before taking a breath.

He opens his mouth but Riku speaks first. “I’m not mad.” The knight says sincerely.

Roxas tries not to let the shock show on his face, but is almost certain that it does anyway. “What?” He asks so quietly it’s almost a whisper. He must have heard the knight wrong because he swears Riku just said-

“I’m not mad.” The knight repeats himself, quietly but surely.

“Oh.” Is all Roxas can manage, feeling overwhelmed at the moment. He swallows thickly, attempting to conceal the nervousness in his voice. “I thought you would be.” He murmurs, unable to look at the knight as he says it.

Riku gives him a sympathetic gaze. “Come on Roxas, give me a little credit here.” He says.

The blond opens his mouth and the words fumble out. “It’s just… I thought everyone disapproved of…” He can’t bring himself to finish the sentence.

Riku looks away for a moment, something remorseful in his eyes. “Most do.” He replies quietly. Then he looks to Roxas once again. “But I’ve known you my whole life and there are way more things I disapprove of than who you bed.” He explains with truth in his eyes.

The Prince’s eyes widen and his face starts to warm at the knight’s blunt comment. “What?” He stammers out, partially offended and embarrassed. “Like what!?” He barks out.

“The fact that you can barely dress yourself most mornings, let alone wake up on time for anything. You hermit yourself in libraries for hours to read instead of going outside, and you slide down the grand entrance railing like a child.” The knight states easily, holding a finger up for each reason he lists. When he’s done, he meets Roxas’ shocked expression and offers a small smirk. “Just to name a few.”

Now the Prince’s mouth is hung open in shock. Riku laughs at him and he crosses his arms stubbornly, huffing and looking away. “It’s way quicker to go down that way instead of walking.” He insists weakly.

Riku chuckles quietly, then his tone becomes more serious. “Look, I know you and I don’t always see eye to eye on everything, but beyond serving you I’m your friend.” He says, stepping closer to the blond. “I’ve got your back, just like you’ve got mine.”

Roxas’ throat gets tight, but this time in a good way. He never thought he would find acceptance and comfort like this in Riku, but he can’t deny that it feels very relieving. His expression becomes less hostile and his shoulders relax as he nods, looking at the knight.

“I’m sorry for not trusting you.” The blond says, feeling guilty for assuming the worst.

The silver-haired teen shakes his head. “Don’t apologize. It’s scary to feel like you have to hide part of yourself.”

The way he says it makes Roxas’ stare at Riku thoughtfully for a moment. “Have you ever had to do that?” He asks, feeling like he already knows that answer.

Riku nods, a small, sad smile coming to his face. “Yea. But when you find someone you can be yourself around, it’s a damn good feeling.” He says fondly, looking at one of the walls in thought.

The Prince wants to ask him more, but Riku starts up again. “Does he know?” The knight asks, referring back to Axel.

Roxas clenches his fist tightly, then relaxes it. “There’s a chance.” He murmurs lowly, not wanting to admit that they’ve already kissed multiple times. Riku didn’t need to know that.

“So he does.” Riku says knowingly, crossing his arms. “Are you going to do anything about it?” He asks.

The blond gives him a sharp look from his comment, earning an eye roll from Riku. “Seriously? You’re thick sometimes.” The knight says, beginning to walk to the door.

Roxas gives him an offended glare, not understanding what the silver-haired teen is getting at. “You better keep walking before I shock that tin suit of yours.” He bites out in response, though his tone carries no seriousness.

The knight laughs, grabbing the handle and twisting it. He looks over his shoulder as he leaves, pausing to stare at Roxas. “I’ve never seen you be afraid to take what you want. Don’t start now.” He says wittingly, before closing the door behind him gently.

The Prince can only stare at where the knight once stood for a few seconds, his mind still reeling over what just happened. Take what he wants? He bites his lip at the thought. He kind of already did last night in the woods, so it’s not like the idea was crazy even if it did catch him off guard coming from Riku. He sits on the edge of his bed, running a hand through his hair and sighing loudly.

Another issue came in the form of Kairi though; he still wasn’t sure what her relationship was like with Axel. The fact that Axel hadn’t seen her in so long gave him the impression there was nothing serious about them, but there was a very clear fondness between the two and Roxas wasn’t exactly sure how to pin point it.

Roxas groans, falling back onto his bed and wincing at the kink in his neck as he does so. He presses his fingers against the skin tenderly, upset with the pain but also thankful that he was not going to be sleeping in the forests for a second night. With that thought in mind he shifts himself to lie comfortably on the bed with the worn cover over top of him and glances out the window. His body begins giving into exhaustion quickly, begging for extra rest tonight as he didn’t get much the previous. Within minutes he falls into a deep slumber, a part of his mind feeling much clearer after having spoken with Riku.

* * *

Cloud closes his eyes as he slumps into a chair overlooking his balcony, tilting his chin upwards as a million thoughts run through his head. He sits like that for a moment, listening to the faint cries of birds in the distance even though it’s long past sundown. After taking a few deep breaths he opens his eyes to grab his wine cup, gulping down the rest of the liquid with ease. He sighs when the cup is empty, fingers itching to grab another right away. As he stands up and feels his vision become slightly hazy, Cloud doesn’t bother to worry about it as the blond enters his room once more and pauses in front of his vanity. As he’s pouring wine into his cup, he hears a light rapping at his door. His shoulders slump and the slightest groan escapes from his lips.

He’s certain it’s a messenger, probably giving him updates regarding his father. After receiving the news, Cloud spent the rest of the day listening to Merlin’s initial autopsy report, as well as Yen Sid’s lengthy speeches of what was to come now that Cloud was officially set to inherit the throne. Truthfully, he barely listened to either of them during the entire day, his head feeling hollow and fuzzy. He tried his best to pay attention, but found himself spacing out and lost within his own thoughts throughout the entirety of their words.

Thankfully they let him go to his room after dinner with no protest, telling him that he should get some rest after everything that transpired during the day. That didn’t stop them from sending maids to check up on him, or messengers to relay information from either Merlin or Yen Sid. He was beginning to become annoyed with it and mixed with his alcohol-induced mind, leads him to nearly stomping across the room to rip the door open and yell at them to go away.

He pauses when behind the door reveals Leon, standing with his gaze low until he sees the door opening. Cloud blinks and drops his hand from the handle in surprise, staring at the brunet and waiting for him to say something.

“Cloud,” Leon says quietly in greeting.

The Prince nods to him slightly. “Do you bring news?” He asks calmly, stepping aside to let the knight in.

Leon steps forward, waiting for Cloud to close the door before he answers. “No, My Lord. I came to see you.” He explains.

The Prince can’t help the momentary pleasure he gets out of those words before walking to pick up his wine cup again with a frown. “I have been fussed over all day, I least expected it from you of all people.” He mutters, sipping the wine.

“I didn’t come to fuss. Just to check on you myself.” Leon’s voice carries from behind him.

Cloud smirks bitterly as he sets the cup down and then rests his hands against the vanity for a moment. “And?” He asks, glancing over his shoulder.

“You’ve consumed much wine.” The brunet comments, nodding to the near empty carafe.

The Prince nearly huffs in protest. “I would hardly worry about that.” He drawls, picking up his glass and walking back out to the balcony to take a seat. He can hear Leon’s steps behind him coming closer. When the knight is standing in the doorway Cloud nods to the extra seat next to him in an invitation. At first Leon doesn’t move, but then he eventually walks forward and sits in the chair next to him.

Neither of them say anything for a long time, both staring out across the night sky littered with bright stars in beautiful patterns. Cloud wishes he could actually enjoy it, but feels nothing but the hollow sensation in his mind he’s been experiencing all day.

“It’s only a matter of time before the people find out.” The Prince muses as he takes a sip of the wine.

Leon gives him a questioning glance. “About your father?” He asks.

“About everything,” Cloud starts, all of his anxieties swarming his head in a haze. “Sora kidnapping, the fact that it was Xehanort, Roxas and Riku leaving to find him. And now my father’s passing…” He trails off, still. “Everything.”

Leon is silent, which is fine because Cloud doesn’t expect him to know what to say. The alcohol seems to loosen his lips as the Prince continues. “And when they learn of my Father, I know they will think it’s the workings of Xehanort.” He muses.

“You don’t see it as a possibility?” The knight asks.

Cloud shakes his head and becomes aware of how dizzy he is becoming. Still, it doesn’t deter him from continuing to drink. “Merlin’s initial report found no signs of foul play. He believes it was natural causes.” The Prince explains.

“I see.” Leon says quietly, seemingly accepting the answer. “You’re worried they will seek revenge?”

“I know they will.” Cloud affirms. “Perhaps it’s wrong to say, but the news regarding Sora will upset them the most. He is loved dearly by the people.” The blond says.

“For good reason. Prince Sora loves the people just same.” Leon offers. Cloud rubs a hand over his mouth, nodding. He gets a weird feeling in his chest, unable to keep it inside.

“Sometimes I wonder if my Father cares,” he pauses on his breath. “ _Cared_ for them like him. He never seemed to want to interact with civilians.”

Leon leans back in his seat, studying Cloud. “A King is a busy man.” He suggests.

The Prince shakes his head, taking a drink of his wine. “No King should be too busy to ignore their people.” He says.

“You’re worried you’ll be like him.” Leon says knowingly.

Cloud nods silently, gripping his cup tightly. “Perhaps. I don’t know if I can win their hearts like Sora.” He says lowly, staring at a specific star for a moment. He closes his eyes shut tightly and pauses as he thinks. The world seems to start spinning as he does so and now Cloud is starting to see that maybe he has had too much to drink.

So, he opens his eyes and looks to Leon again. “I’m not ready to be a King.” He admits. It’s something he’s thought for years, but never admitted out loud to anyone. His father always told him that royalty like them were born ready to rule. He isn’t so sure that it applies to him though.

The brunet gives him a calm stare, his eyes empathetic. He looks to the sky and Cloud’s eyes follow. “I don’t think most Kings are ever ready.” He says. “It’s nearly impossible to prepare for such a feat.”

“Peace has been upon us for so long and now it feels like the world has been flipped upside down and I’m responsible for fixing it all.” Cloud admits quietly, setting his cup down and resting his elbows on his knees. He leans forward, staring at the ground as he holds his head in his hands.

A moment passes and he feels Leon’s hand resting on his shoulder. He looks up to the brunet in surprise, staring at him carefully.

“You’re not alone Cloud. Everyone knows how hard this must be on you and we want to do everything in our power to aid you.” The brunet says gently.

The blond stares at Leon as if he has just sprouted another head. He isn’t sure he’s heard such warm words come from the knight’s mouth. Before his drunk mind can catch up, his lips move quicker.

“Even you?” He asks, tone filled with uncertainty. It’s as if the alcohol has stripped away his walls of protection, leaving his vulnerabilities exposed for Leon to see with ease.

The brunet’s grip on his shoulder tightens a bit. “Of course, Cloud. I live to serve you.”

It’s not the answer the Prince wants to hear and he knows it’s unfair to expect the knight to have said otherwise. Still, Cloud removes his hand gently and stands up with his wine cup again, finishing it and walking back into his room to fill it once more. He can feel Leon’s eyes on him as he walks.

“Cloud?” The knight asks, his tone uneasy. “Did I say something to offend you?”

The blond ignores his question, instead pausing with the refilled cup in his hand to his lips. “If you weren’t sworn to me, would you still say the same thing?” He questions.

Leon gives him a long stare, then stands up and walks towards him. When the knight is in front of Cloud, he’s raises his hand to gently remove the cup from the Prince’s. The blond allows him to do so without protest, watching Leon set the cup on his vanity.

Up this close Cloud can see the details of Leon’s face much easier. His eyes fixate on the man’s scar between his eyes, studying the thin flesh and he has to clench his fist at his side tightly to restrain himself from reaching up to brush his fingers along it.

“I would,” Leon says confidently. “You are worth serving. Anyone can see that clearly enough.”

His praise gives Cloud’s heart an extra loud thump and the blond feels the bridge come between them again in his mind. He stares at Leon from the other side of it, then glances down at the glass structure with a determined gaze. He bites his lip and places a foot on the glass hesitantly.

“I don’t feel that way. What makes me worthy?” He asks genuinely.

There’s no question in his levels of sobriety, yet Cloud is sure that he sees the knight move slightly closer to him. “You’re smart, kind and generous. You’re the heir to a prosperous nation, yet you remain humble at all times. Most of all? You recognize your flaws and are able to admit them, when most would never do such a thing.” Leon says.

His words send a thrill up the back of his body and Cloud’s hand move on its own accord this time, reaching upwards. In his head, his first foot is planted on the glass bridge with his weight. Leon doesn’t back down, his eyes following the blond’s movement and the Prince’s hand comes close to his face, near his forehead. Cloud brushes his thumb ever so lightly across the knight’s scar, seeing the way Leon closes his eyes as he does it. The brunet doesn’t flinch or pull away, making Cloud feel surer of his action. He places his other foot atop of the bridge and looks down, seeing how it supports his weight.

“How did you get this?” The blond asks quietly.

Leon’s eyes open half-lidded towards him. “Training. One of the other soldiers caught me off guard.” He answers.

Cloud hums in response with a frown at the thought, but at the same time he likes the way the scar looks on Leon’s face. He starts to lower his hand, but the knight reaches up to grasp his and places it against the side of his face. Looking over the bridge, Cloud sees that Leon has stepped onto it carefully too.

“It must have hurt.” The Prince comments quietly, bringing himself closer to Leon. He’s so close their bodies are nearly touching and the Prince feels like the last of his resolve is washing away in the waves of the sea.

The brunet’s gaze softens on him and he tentatively reaches a hand out to rest on Cloud’s back. “It’s been a long time since then. I don’t remember.”

Another step forward; was it on the bridge in his mind or real life? Cloud isn’t sure, but things are starting to become unclear as he loses himself in Leon’s stormy eyes. He’s never wanted something in his life so badly until now and here it was, yet he still finds himself hesitating once more even in his inebriated state.

However with one last glance at the knight’s lips, Cloud watches himself break out into a run on the bridge, meeting Leon halfway in a crash of bodies and limbs tangling together as they brush their lips against one another feverishly in the quiet hours of the night.

* * *

 

Roxas wakes up with a sharp jerk, unsure as to what has disturbed him from his slumber. He frowns, realizing that the cause seems to be his bladder and sits up slowly, rubbing a hand over his tired face. The blond stands and grabs his key, walking out of his room and towards the main one slowly. As he opens the door, he freezes as he catches sight of Axel raising his hood above his head and standing in the doorway of the exit. The blond pulls back quickly, nearly shutting the door but leaving enough space to watch the redhead close the door to outside behind him quietly.

The blond reacts quickly, running back to his room to grab a tome and his cloak, then returns to the main room and finds himself exiting the inn as well with little regard of how much of a bad idea this could be. He closes the door behind him quietly, wondering if he’s supposed to lock it from the outside somehow. After staring at the building and not seeing anyway to do so, he frowns and decides that he doesn’t have time to worry about it.

He pulls his cloak around him with the hood up quickly, catching Axel’s figure walking down the dark streets. Roxas makes sure he keeps his distance from the man so as to not alert him. He tries to ignore the random people he sees curling up on the sides of the street. They look like they’re trying to sleep, but one of the figures is very still as Roxas walks by quietly and he has to tear his eyes away from the person to stop wondering if he really is asleep or not.

He follows Axel for some time in the dark streets of the town. Periodically he hears yelling off in the distance, but it always seems to be in an area far from them to which Roxas is thankful. Eventually he sees the redhead approach a building and he pauses outside of the door before knocking. It’s awhile before someone answers, but when they do the person on the other side steps out and closes the door behind them. Roxas can’t make out who it is, or what they’re saying to each other, but their exchange is quick and after a few more moments he sees Axel reach out and give something to the person.

The person accepts it and when Roxas hears the sound of jingling from where he’s hiding between two buildings, he realizes it must be gold. The Prince’s eyes widen; when did Axel get coin? Did he steal the pouch that Cloud gave the blond before they set out? He’s certain that it’s in his room, so where did the man get it from?

He can only watch the exchange end as the person retreats back into their house. The Prince stiffens when he sees Axel turn back to where he came from and begins walking. Roxas presses his back hard against the stone building, attempting to hide behind some worn down crates nearby as Axel passes. He holds his breath as the man’s footsteps come closer and can hear his heartbeat loudly in his chest as he sees the man’s figure going by him as he passes. The blond releases a quiet breath after Axel walks down the street, releasing the tension in his body.

“Alright Roxas, you can come out now.” Axel calls out into the quiet night.

The blond freezes again, his eyes widening. He knew the Prince was here all along? Roxas isn’t sure if he should reveal himself considering he just got caught and Axel doesn’t sound very impressed, but eventually he walks out from where he was standing quietly, pausing in the street and seeing Axel about twenty feet ahead of him. The redhead turns to him as he spots Roxas, saying nothing as he stares at him with a scornful look.

Then Axel is striding towards him quickly, grabbing the blond’s arms tightly and bringing him back in between the two building he was just hiding in. He grunts as his back meets the wall forcefully from a heavy push.

“Do you have a death wish or something?” The redhead growls at him fiercely.

Roxas stares up at Axel with a confused and annoyed expression as the redhead continues. “Why would you come out here alone, did you not realize how unsafe this town is?” He asks, gripping the Prince’s shoulders tightly.

The blond grabs his wrists, pulling him off. He wasn’t expecting Axel to say such a thing. “And what makes you think I was going to stay at the inn while you sneak off in the middle of the night?” He challenges, narrowing his eyes.

“Oh, so you’re spying on me now, huh?” Axel retorts, clearly not impressed with his response. The redhead leans his head down to Roxas, his emerald eyes radiating anger and lips are set in a deep scowl.

“With good reason, you just gave someone a bunch of gold. What am I supposed to think, that it’s nothing suspicious?” The blond continues stubbornly.

Axel lowers his head in defeat, shaking his eyes. “Gods, Roxas. You’re such a pain in my ass you know that?” He asks.

The blond is about to insult him back, but turns his head to the side when he hears a girl yelling close by. The sound of a man barking at her to shut up follows, along with a rough sound of her getting hit and another wail from her. Roxas’ eyes widen and he looks to Axel in panic.

“Come on, we have to get back to the inn.” The redhead murmurs, grabbing the Prince’s wrist and beginning to pull him along.

Roxas digs his feet into the ground, halting himself and tearing his wrist back. “What? No, someone’s in trouble!” He protests.

The redhead turns to him with a stern gaze. “This isn’t happening Roxas.” He asserts forcefully. “You’re not rushing in to try and save the day again.”

The Prince stares at Axel with an offended expression before gritting his teeth. He’s about to argue further when he hears another cry from the girl.

“Someone! Please help me!” She cries out in the night.

It’s enough for Roxas to react, not wasting another second and running in the opposite direction they came from. He hears Axel let out a string of curses and starts running after him. The blond rounds a corner into a dark and narrow street, blinking a few times to try and adjust to the area. He lets his feet carry him around more streets, hearing the girl’s sobs growing louder. Roxas grits his teeth, forcing himself to run faster and doesn’t realize that the sounds of Axel following him have become lost.

He rounds another corner and halts when he sees the scene; a large brute of a man pressing a young girl up against a wall, his hands working to hike the dress of her skirt up. Roxas’ eyes widen and he thinks fast, breaking out in a run towards them.

“Get off of her!” The Prince commands forcefully. The man looks up in surprise at his outburst and Roxas doesn’t give him time to react, reciting a spell from his wind tome and thrusts his arm forwards. A surge of wind shoots from it, forming an arched blade and hitting the man with a forceful blow. He is sent flying backwards rather far down the alleyway, tumbling on the ground and he impacts with it and is stunned. The girl shields her head with her hands as the magic is cast, then looks up to where the man has landed and back to Roxas with a stunned expression.

The blond moves quickly towards her. “Come on, we have to get out of here!” He says in a hushed tone to her. Up close he can see she has short black hair that ends at her chin, and her blue eyes are filled with tears and shock. There’s a bruise forming on her cheek from where the man must have struck her and the sight makes Roxas want to launch another attack at the man, but he knows that the longer they stay here, the more likely it is that someone else will come around. She nods at him hastily after another couple of seconds, probably trying to figure out if she can trust Roxas. The blond offers her his free hand and she grabs it, starting off into a run together as the man groans from behind them.

Unfortunately, Roxas doesn’t clearly remember which way he came from, having lost track of where he was while trying to find the girl and help her. Still, he just focuses on getting them as far away from the man as possible and keeping the girl safe. The Prince pauses when he comes to another narrow street, looking back and forth and not being able to figure out which way to go. He turns around when he feels the girl pull her hand away gently, seeing her panting quietly and resting her hands on her knees.

“Sorry,” she huffs out. “I just need a moment.” The girl explains.

Roxas nods, using the break to catch his breath as well. “Is there somewhere safe you can go?” He asks gently.

She raises herself and gives him a defeated look, shaking her head. “My homes back there. If I go back…” She trails off, not able to finish.

“You’re not going back.” Roxas says confidently. There was no way he’d let her do that after witnessing what happened. She looks up at him in surprise, before blinking.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” the black-haired girl starts.

“Roxas.” He answers simply.

“Roxas.” She repeats, stepping closer to him and grabbing one of his hands with both of hers. “I don’t know how to thank you enough. I-I was so scared-“ She pauses, her voice trembling.

The blond’s gaze becomes soft towards her and he gives her a small, empathic smile. “It’s okay. Anyone would have been scared.” He eases.

She shakes her head, dropping his hand. “I’m afraid I have no coin to give you, else I would.”

Roxas holds his hand up sheepishly. “No, I couldn’t even take it. I just heard someone yelling for help and had to do something.” He explains.

She stares at him for another moment in shock. “What?” He asks, tilting his head in confusion.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard such brave words.” The black-haired girl comments, looking down. “Usually people are reluctant to help.”

The blond bites his lip, feeling remorseful all of a sudden. “I’m not brave. I just did what anyone else would have.”

The girl shakes her head. “You must not be from this town.” She comments quietly. “No one else would have. Fighting against mercenaries often earns one a merciless death.”

Roxas swallows thickly, hearing the warnings of Axel sound off in his head. “We should keep moving.” He says to her, not wanting the girl to get frightened again.

“I…have no where else to go.” She comments.

“Yes you do,” Roxas protests. When she gives him a puzzled look, he offers a small smile. “I’m staying at an inn tonight. I’ll get you a room.”

Again, her eyes widen in shock like Roxas has said something crazy to her. “W-what, really?” The girl asks. When Roxas’ gaze doesn’t falter, she brings a hand to her mouth and her eyes become half-lidded as more tears well up in them. The Prince gives her a surprised look, opening his mouth to ask what’s wrong before she wraps her arms around him suddenly, resting her forehead on his shoulders as she sobs quietly. Roxas drops his tome in surprise, looking down at her in uncertainty as she shakes slightly with her cries.

“Forgive me,” she starts, hiccupping. “I’ve never met someone with such kindness.”

The blond feels pity welling up inside of him, upset that this girl could have been hurt or worse had he not been in the right place at the right time. He tries not to think about what could have been, instead hesitantly wrapping his arms around her frail body and hugging her close.

“It’s okay, you’re safe now.” He whispers to her, hoping that his words and actions are enough to calm the girl down.

“Well, well. Looks like you managed to save the day after all.” Axel calls from down the dark street. His voice startles them both and the black-haired girl pulls away from Roxas, turning to the sound of it. The blond sees Axel’s cloaked figure walking towards them and can tell that the girl is frightened again, her shoulders tensing and breath hitching in her throat as she stays close to Roxas.

“Don’t be afraid, he won’t harm us.” The Prince says to her calmly, laying a hand on her upper back comfortingly. She glances at him, fear still in her eyes but swallows thickly and nods in understanding.

Roxas looks up as Axel pauses in front of them, the older man staring at him with an irked expression as he crosses his arms. “How’d you find us?” The blond asks quietly.

The redhead rolls his eyes, turning his head away. “I know this town like the back of my hand. I figured you would end up running around blindly so I just stuck to the streets surrounding this area.” He explains with a gruffness in his voice. Roxas finds himself frowning at his demeanor and tone.

After a moment of silence, Axel looks to the again and drops his hands. “So, what’s the plan now? You’re going to stand by this girl’s side all night?” He asks skeptically, giving her a brief glance. Roxas definitely catches onto to the hostility this time, and takes a step forward to stand in front of the girl protectively. The blond looks behind him at her, seeing the way she holds her hands in front of her apprehensively, like she’s wondering if the Prince will suddenly change his mind and leave her to fend for herself.

He gives her a quick smile before turning to Axel once more. “No, she’s going to come back with us to the inn.” He says determinedly.

Roxas can’t see his expression very clearly, but he can tell the answer is not what Axel wanted to hear. The redhead stares at him for a few moments, like he’s trying to silently tell the Prince that it isn’t a good idea. Roxas doesn’t care though, not backing down.

Axel simply sighs after some more time and waves a hand. “Alright then, I’m sure Kairi won’t have an issue with that.” He admits quietly. The blond simply nods, pleased that the older man didn’t try to argue with him about it. He agrees with Axel’s words; If the auburn-haired girl was to find out the circumstances, Roxas is sure she’d have no quarrels with letting this girl stay in the inn.

“I’m Axel, by the way.” The redhead calls to the girl, waving lazily. Some of the anger in his voice seems to have cooled off.

“Xion.” The black-haired girl responds quietly, still seeming nervous about the older man.

Roxas looks between them again, nodding. “Let’s get going then. It’s not safe out here.” He says to her.

He can practically feel Axel’s eyes burning at him. “Oh, so when _I_ say it, it means nothing.” He grumbles, the frustration in his tone back full force. The redhead crosses his arms and begins to walk in the opposite direction. Roxas purses his lips in annoyance at his behaviour, especially around Xion considering everything that has just happened to her.

He glances to the girl again. “Sorry about him. He’s an ill-mannered fool at times.” The blond explains.

“I can hear you!” Axel calls from ahead, not pausing in his steps.

Xion cracks a small smile and Roxas simply glares at the man. “ _Good._ ” He hisses out loud enough for the man to hear. Now the black-haired girl is giggling quietly, holding a hand to her mouth. Roxas nearly sighs, but instead asks her to follow and begins trailing behind Axel as they make their way back to the inn. They’re lucky enough to not run into any more trouble as they walk through the dark streets, something the blond can tell Xion is relieved about. Or maybe she just feels safer now that she’s with other people.

They exchange little words as they walk, wanting to keep themselves as quiet as possible. It isn’t until they’ve arrived to the inn and are standing in the main room when Axel speaks up to them.

“So, where exactly is Xion going to sleep?” The redhead asks aloud. “I don’t think there’s any other vacant rooms available at the moment, and Kairi would slit my throat if I woke her up right now.”

Roxas can imagine such events unfolding after seeing the girl’s temper earlier today and the thought almost brings a smile to his face. He shrugs his shoulders casually. “She’ll take yours.” He says simply.

Axel’s eyes widen for a moment before his gaze becomes pointed. “Why mine? You’re the one who rescued her.” He argues.

The Prince crosses his arms. “All the more reason why _you_ should give her your bed. It’s the least you could do.” He retorts.

Xion notices the hostility growing and chimes in. “If there’s no where for me to stay I can return home-“ She starts.

“ _No_.” Both of the men respond at the same time, then share a heated look for another moment. Axel releases an aggravated sigh, throwing his hands up in defeat. “Fine! She takes my room.” The redhead announces in resignation. He reaches a hand into his pocket to retrieve the key and throws it to Roxas before turning back around to the exit.

Before he can ask where Axel thinks he’s going again, the redhead turns to look at him. “I’m just going to be out of the porch.” He says exasperatedly, like he was expecting an outburst from the Prince. “I won’t go anywhere.”

“Good.” Roxas declares, even though he will definitely be coming back to check after he shows Xion to her room. With a nod he looks to her and gestures for her to follow. She looks a little unsure for a few more seconds, probably feeling like she caused an issue by being there and yet she ends up following Roxas down the hallway of rooms until they stop in front of Axel’s. The blond inserts the key in and the door unlocks with a quiet click. He pushes it opens and motions for Xion to enter, watching the girl walk forward slowly.

“I’m just down the hall. Come get me if you need anything.” Roxas says, walking in and setting the key on the small table by the bed. Xion nods and she takes in the room, hesitantly sitting on the bed.

She looks up at him with concern in her eyes. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to sleep here? Where will Axel sleep?” She asks.

Roxas gives a half-shrug. “A pile of hay for all I care.” He teases. She cracks another small smile, shaking her head.

He turns to walk out of the door, looking to Xion before he closes it as she calls out a quiet goodnight. He reciprocates and shuts the door quietly, starting back towards the main room of the inn to check that Axel indeed stayed right outside of the building.


	11. Veracity

To Roxas’ surprise when he opens the door to the porch of the inn, he sees Axel sitting on the lowest step with his back to him. The redhead is staring at the sky, and turns to spare the Prince a quick glance before returning to his original gaze without a word. The blond takes a few steps forward, then pauses to lean against one of the wooden beams of the porch and crosses his arms. He stands still, simply staring at the back of the man’s head and waits for him to say something.

To his dismay the redhead doesn’t say anything and Roxas has never been gifted with patience, so he quickly finds himself narrowing his gaze and tapping a finger against his arm as he waits. He almost starts shaking his head and muttering to himself, but simply getting angry with the redhead and demanding of him is clearly not going to get him anywhere as he experienced earlier. The blond pauses for a moment with his eyes closed, releasing a long breath and letting his arms down by his side again. Roxas starts walking down the few steps and doesn’t say a word as he sits next to Axel, leaving a foot or so of space between them.

Again, the redhead doesn’t acknowledge him in anyway. Roxas nearly pulls at his hair in frustration when the silence remains. Was he really going to have to be the one to swallow their pride and speak first? He is normally good at being stubborn and getting the upper hand in these kinds of situations, but perhaps Axel knows this is and it’s why he isn’t backing down either.

Roxas closes his eyes tightly for a moment before opening them again and staring at the ground. “How did you meet Kairi?” He asks, hoping to conceal his intentions behind the innocent question. He hopes it isn’t too obvious.

He feels the redhead’s gaze on him, but can’t find the courage to look at him yet.

“We met when I was young,” Axel answers quietly. “I saw a group of kids surrounding her and sent them running with their tails between their legs.” He explains fondly, smiling a little bit.

Roxas can’t help tilting his head towards the redhead a little bit, intrigued. “Why were they trying to hurt her?” He asks genuinely.

The redhead seems to not have expected the question, scratching his head. “Well, she did punch one of them for trying to steal her necklace. Then the guy’s lackeys showed up.” He muses.

Roxas looks back to the ground, pressing his hand to his mouth. “And they were seriously going to hurt her?” He asks.

“Well, yea. See you learn pretty quickly that there aren’t many rules in places like this.” Axel admits. The blond gets a tight feeling in his chest. So many people living in this kind of a condition, it wasn’t right.  And the thought of his father and the Islanders being responsible for such an outcome makes him feel even worse. He needs to know if it’s the truth or not.

“Because of the war.” The blond adds in, testing the waters.

Axel is silent for a moment, looking to the ground as well. “Yea…” He says, his voice quiet. “Because of the war.” He repeats.

“Axel,” the blond says sincerely. His soft tone catches the man’s attention and when he stares at Roxas the Prince takes a nervous gulp. “I need to tell you what I was taught about it.” He says.

“This should be rich,” the redhead replies with a slight bite in his voice.

Roxas furrows his eyebrows, suppressing his anger as best as he can. “I think it will help you _understand_ where I’m coming from-”

“Oh I think I have an accurate idea already.” The redhead retorts bitterly, interrupting the Prince.

Now Roxas can’t restrain himself pulling his fist back and punching Axel in the bicep sharply. Why was he being so malicious out of nowhere? The older man lets out a shocked sound, immediately scowling at the blond.

“What is your problem!? Are you that upset you had to give your bed away?” The Prince asks, only able rationalize that as the cause for the redhead’s words. “Because if it’s got you _this_ upset, then you can take mine.” He says, standing up and reaching into his pocket to grab his room key. He flings in at the redhead with a glare in his eyes and turns around to walk back inside.

He tried to be the bigger person and put himself forward first, only to have Axel throw his words in his face. The Prince feels annoyed, resentful and most of all, disheartened. After what happened between them the previous night, Roxas thought they were becoming likeable to one another. Apparently, he was wrong.

He takes a seat in one of the empty chairs at the table, sighing and opening his wind tome to read. He probably isn’t going to get much sleep out here and though the Prince could recite nearly every spell from memory, he knows he’ll need something to keep himself distracted throughout the night. He could go wake up Riku and ask for his bed, but Roxas would feel like an inconsiderate snob if he did so, especially because the knight would certainly give up his bed.

He just swallows and opens his book to a page, barely being able to read it with the few oil lamps lit around the room. The blond stiffens when he hears the entrance door open quietly and forces himself to keep his gaze down in his book, otherwise he might yell obscenities at the redhead.

The sound of Axel’s footsteps surround the room and the Prince blinks when they come closer to him. He looks up at the table when his key clinks down on the wood with a light sound. Then Axel pulls out the chair directly across from him and sits with his elbows resting on the table and hands folded together in front of his mouth. Roxas stares at him warily, unsure as to what is going on.

Axel looks to the side for a moment before lowering his hands to show his mouth and looks Roxas in the eyes. “It’s not the room.” He says, pausing for a breath. “It’s…that girl.” The redhead states quietly.

The Prince furrows his eyebrows in a puzzled expression. “What about her? You’re mad I attacked that man and brought her back with us?”

Axel’s eyebrows raise. “You attacked him?” He asks in surprise.

Roxas nods carefully. “He was…trying to force himself on her.” He explains, grimacing at the thought. “I used my wind magic to fight him off.” The blond finishes quietly, looking to the tome in front of him.

He glances at the redhead again, holding his breath when he sees the way Axel leers at him. “I’m actually kind of impressed.” He says, leaning back in his chair.

The Prince rolls his eyes, feeling his face warm a little bit at the praise. “I just did what I had to do. We ran out of there as soon as he went down.”

“And then you decided to hold each other in the streets like a pair of lovebirds?” Axel asks with an arched eyebrow, a hint of something Roxas’ recognizes instantly as envy present in his voice.

His eyes widen slightly. No way was he seriously feeling that way.

“Axel, she was scared.” The Prince reasons.

“She couldn’t have been too scared to be out in the open like that still.” Axel argues back, looking away.

Now Roxas is certain of it; the man was definitely envious at the very least. He has to look down, unable to hide the amusement on his face. After a few seconds of silence he’s able to look serious again, shaking his head and glancing to Axel.

“The girl experienced a traumatizing matter. She was just thankful for my help.” He tries again. This time Axel looks to him and after a few seconds of reading him seems to actually accept the answer. The redhead looks a little sheepish for a moment, glancing at the ground. Oh, how Roxas wants to tease him so badly right now considering how often Axel does it to him. It might be a bit of a cheap shot though.

Instead, he closes his tome and leans back in his own chair to stare at Axel intently. The tension in the air has eased up somewhat, making the blond feel a lot calmer. He stands up after a few seconds and grabs the key from the table, beginning to walk back to the rooms. When he reaches the doorway of the hallway he pauses, turning his head over his should to stare at Axel, who is looking at him.

Roxas nods his head in the direction of the rooms. “Come on.” He urges quietly, waiting for the redhead to follow.

The green-eyed man stares at with an uncertain expression for a few seconds, like he’s not sure if Roxas said what he did. As he’s about to repeat himself the redhead stands up slowly, beginning to trail towards him. Roxas exhales slowly and walks to his room, becoming aware of how close the redhead is as they walk down the hallway together. Their arms brush a couple times and the blond feels a thrill at the touch.

He opens the door quickly and waits for Axel to follow him in before closing it quietly behind them. The redhead walks to sit at the edge of the bed, keeping his eyes on the Prince as the blond unties the robe from his shoulders. Roxas tosses it by their bags when it’s off and removes his boots next, setting them next to his things. After that he turns to the bed and stares at Axel awkwardly. The bed is so small and Axel is significantly taller than himself. It was going to be a tight squeeze if they shared.

It’s almost as if the older man reads his mind. “You’re not going to make me sleep on the floor, are you?” The redhead asks, probably thinking his staring was a silent indicator for him to get off the bed.

Roxas shakes his head, swallowing thickly. “No. After last night, I learned sleeping on the ground is awful.” He says, raising his hand to touch his sore neck. Axel stares at him in silence for a moment, before nodding and shifting himself to lie down on the bed with his back to the blond. Roxas almost sighs in defeat at the little space left over for him, walking and lying down with his back towards Axel as well. He’s close to the edge of the bed and shifts backward just the slightest bit, but it’s enough to feel the redhead’s warm back against his own and the blond freezes.

Axel doesn’t seem to mind the contact, not saying anything. The blond feels his heart beating against his chest erratically, feeling just as embarrassed as the day he woke up with the redhead next to him. It isn’t even necessarily a bad feeling to him, but it’s foreign and unfamiliar and makes him feel nervous.

“Will you tell me what you were taught?” Axel asks him, cutting through the silence with his quiet question.

The blond stares at the wall across the room, his breath hitching in surprise. He almost turns around to look at Axel and ask if he’s serious, but the redhead’s tone is honest and calm enough that the Prince can tell it’s the case. Roxas nods even though Axel can’t see it, opening his mouth to begin.

“It was sparked by an assassination. Tensions had already been high between our nations because many travellers from Eclipsis attempted to settle themselves upon the Islands. When they trespassed, the King at the time would often hang those who dared to claim our land as a punishment. Eventually it became wide knowledge that those who tried to sail on our lands were met with merciless deaths. I was always told people tried to settle on our land because it possesses rare treasures like no other.

“Then, came the assassination. A fleet of ships from Eclipsis representing the King sailed for the Islands to propose a peace treaty. The King welcomed them in, let them stay in his castle and eat his food for five days. On their last day as the men were leaving, one of them grabbed the eldest child: a princess of just eight years old. He cut her down in front of everyone in the gardens, proclaiming it was revenge for the hanging one of his comrades who was a traveller.”

Roxas pauses in his recollection, waiting for Axel to speak on what he’s said so far. He gives no indication of wanting to respond, so the Prince continues in his reciting.

“After that, the King rounded up the men and executed them for their crimes. Then he gathered his armies and ships, sailing for Eclipsis in just a few days. I guess they had the element of surprise, being able to occupy the west lands rather quickly. I was also taught that not many soldiers of Eclipsis possess magic abilities. So a lot of the battles were easily won, despite our smaller population. It wasn’t quick before the King of Eclipsis realized he wouldn’t be able to overpower the Islanders. Our King recognized that too, so he proposed a real negotiation this time.”

Now he feels Axel shifting slightly to lay on his back. His body is tense, making the Prince wonder if the redhead believes his words.

Still, he continues in his explanation. “I was told he never sought to gain anything out of the war. He just wanted to secure his lands once and for all, and get revenge for his daughter’s death. After meeting with the King, they were able to create the pact that eventually became formally recognized as the Peace Treaty. After that, the King returned to the Islands and since then we’ve upkept the treaty.” He finishes.

There’s a long silence in the room after the blond is done speaking. His finger fidgets slightly as he waits for Axel to say something in response, unsure as to what he could say in response.

“Can’t say I’m surprised by all of that.” The redhead finally murmurs quietly.

Now, Roxas can’t help himself. He rolls to his other side, facing Axel and staring at the redhead in the dark, able to see him with his eyes adjusted to the dark. His gaze is pointed at the ceiling and stays in place even as the Prince stares at him in silence.

Axel takes a big breath, closing his eyes. He exhales it slowly, bringing a hand to rub at his mouth. “I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about the lead up to the war other than the assassination.” He says, still not meeting Roxas’ gaze.

But then he looks to the blond with a serious gaze, his eyes piercing through the Prince with ease. He actually feels a little intimidated by it, the green eyes radiating brightly in the night.

“But there was never a second, peaceful negotiation. Your King did recognize his army’s skill overpowered our numbers, but he didn’t use it as a negotiator. He used it to his advantage and decided to wipe out cities. The armies were easy enough, why not attack the innocents?” He questions aloud, looking back to the ceiling.

Axel’s tone is calm for the most part, bitterness coming out in places. His words make the blond’s chest feel tight in shame, waiting for the older man to continue even though his words are hard to hear.

“It was smart, from his point of view. He was able to take control of it easily enough. I always wondered why he never claimed it for himself, but then who would he exploit to his benefit? So, with every city he claimed, he laid out terms for “negotiation”, as you called them.”

The redhead narrows his eyes at Roxas in the dark. “Did you learn what those negotiations were Roxas?” He asks, his tone dripping with anger.

But the Prince can’t find it in himself to get mad back in return, simply shifting his gaze away. “Probably not all of them.” He answers truthfully.

“Tell me what you know anyway.” The redhead requests.

“To never attempt to claim the Islands again, to repay the cost of the men lost in battle, and to…attend a yearly celebration to honour the treaty.” Roxas says quietly, answering right away.

Now Axel sits up sharply, his back to the Prince. His shoulders are tense and his hand is pressed into his mouth. He shakes his head back and forth, the action making Roxas sit up in response as well.

“Axel, I’m serious.” He tells the man with a strain in his voice. “I’m not lying to you; that’s all I was ever taught.” The blond says in a panic, hoping that the redhead hears the sincerity in his voice.

Axel pauses, exhaling quietly. “The other ones included things like disassembling the army and preventing the future Kings from expanding them.” He adds. Roxas swallows thickly, recalling the redhead mentioning that a few days ago.

“As well as making us pay a portion of our resources to the Islands at every end of every season. It wasn’t very much at first, but as time went on it grew larger and larger. With our lands destroyed and all of our labour being demanded by the Islanders who could attack us again at any point, we weren’t left with much of a choice other than to comply.” Axel explains.

The Prince’s throat is tight, getting worse as the redhead explains everything to him. It’s like there’s a hand around his windpipe that slowly increases its grip until it’s left the blond in a lengthy silence, having no words to speak. He doesn’t even think he could if he tried, his mouth feeling dry.

Axel finally looks at him again, his eyes mixed with anger and misery. “People started getting sick from being overworked. They didn’t have enough money to afford food most of the time, let alone medicine. So crime went up as people fended for themselves, not having to worry about the lack of armies patrolling their actions. Stealing and fighting became daily occurrences. Murder was normal too.

“Then others began forming mercenary groups to provide protection to people. Or to seek revenge on each other. People became so obsessed with looking out for their own backs that they lost their sense of community. Hardly anyone looks out for each other anymore, they’re too scared it will come around to bite them in the ass.” The redhead describes.

Roxas turns himself away from Axel sharply, sitting on the edge of the bed with his hands on his head. His thoughts are crashing like waves of a storm, surrounding and consuming his mind to the point where he’s feeling like it’s hard to breathe. One of his hands moves down to his mouth and his bites down on his knuckle hard, using the pain to focus his mind on it as he catches his thoughts. His stomach is starting to feel tight as well and he hopes it doesn’t morph into nausea.

It all makes too much sense. The prominent poverty in the towns he’s visited, the man yelling in the streets about the increased production demands and Xion’s surprise when he said he was willing to help her. It was all so easily explained after Axel’s words. But, part of him is still questioning. Why would his father keep this a secret? Did anyone else in the castle know? Did _Cloud_ know about all of this?

“I-“ The blond tries, feeling like his voice is blocked. “Axel,” he tries again, shaking his head when his words won’t come out. He can feel the redhead staring at him, but he says nothing. Something that worries Roxas the most is on the frontline of his brain, but he doesn’t know how to say it.

The Prince wills himself to take a couple shaky breaths, feeling his hands trembling against his skin slightly. He shuts his eyes tight, trying to get at least a little bit of control of his words back.

“My mother died five years ago from an illness.” He says quietly. When he looks to Axel again, he sees the redhead arch an eyebrow and backtracks.

“I’m not saying this for pity points,” the blond adds. “It’s just…” he feels the words die in his mouth, unable to say what he wants to out loud still.

So, he just shakes his head and continues with his story. “It took us all by surprise. She was fine one day, then the next she was bed ridden, barely able to stand.” He recalls, not liking the mental images that come back to him.

The blond looks down at the ground as he continues. “My father immediately became suspicious. He was convinced someone poisoned her and ordered her to be quarantined in a completely different section of the castle. It was like… as soon as she became sick, she wasn’t his Queen anymore. She was just a vector to him.”

“A vector?” Axel asks quietly.

Roxas swallows thickly. “A parasite. Something that would spread the disease.” He explains.

The redhead doesn’t say anything as the Prince begins speaking again. “He told us not to visit her under any circumstances, because we would probably get sick too. She was alone for two full days before Sora and I cracked and snuck into her chambers in the middle of the night. It was like staring at a whole other person. Suddenly my radiant mother was a shell fighting to survive.” He shakes his head as tears begin to fall to the ground. He wipes at them hastily with a hand, sniffling quietly and cursing.

“I’m sorry.” He grunts out, taking a breath. “Anyway, she-“

“Don’t apologize,” Axel interrupts. The blond turns his head quickly to stare at the older man with surprise. He’s staring at Roxas with a soft expression, much of his hostility lost. “That would be hard on anyone.” The redhead murmurs.

Roxas nods, looking down again as he continues. “She told us that my father came to see her a few times, but wouldn’t come within several feet of the bed. He often sent sages who performed tests on her. Her arms were covered in so many bruises from all blood extractions they took from her.” He explains, looking at his forearm as he says it. He remembers the sight like it was just yesterday, the painful feeling in his gut blooming as he saw her arms.

“A few days later, Sora and I were fine. So, we brought Cloud the following night and she looked even worse than the last time we saw her. I didn’t even think it could be possible.” He pauses, needing to take a breath. “I think at that point she knew she was going to die. She kept on hugging us all together on the bed and telling us how much she loved us. It made Sora cry a lot.”

He knows Axel doesn’t really need all these details, but for some reason the blond just lets the words pour out. This was the first time he had ever spoken about the situation to someone other than Sora or Cloud and even then, the conversation was always limited. Mainly due to the fact that it was such a painful experience on them all. Talking about it was also forbidden.

He wishes he had some of his water right now. His throat is becoming dry and itchy, but he doesn’t stop recounting the events to Axel. “One of the maids saw us returning from her quarantined zone in the night and reported to my Father. He rounded us up shortly after we were back in our beds. I remember the guards grabbing me like I was a criminal,” he recalls, frowning. “They had to have two guards take me because I kept trying to break free and run off.”

“Why?” The redhead asks. Roxas glances up at him and something in Axel’s eyes makes the blond think he might already have an idea.

He licks his lips, letting his gaze trail off. “I thought he was going to quarantine us too, maybe even-“ he cuts himself off, hesitating.

“Do what he did to your mother?” Axel fills in.

“Kill us.” The blond corrects, meeting the older man’s eyes. They widen, Axel not having expected such a response.

“I’d never seen him so angry. The guards threw us down on the ground like we were nothing and my father spoke to us as if we had committed every single crime you could think of rolled into one. He beat all three of us individually for disobeying him. At one point he got in Cloud’s face, then hit him so hard one of his rings sliced through his skin. He was definitely the angriest with him.” He recalls, glancing down again.

He feels the mattress moving as the redhead shifts closer to him. The tears coming down his face are hot against his skin and just when he thinks he might be done crying, more start falling as the memories flash across his mind.

“Axel, I had no idea,” He says, hoping his words make sense. Roxas shakes his head as he speaks shakily. “My father has never told me anything like you said. I swear to you, I didn’t know.” The blond insists, sniffling quietly.

Axel doesn’t say anything in response at first, instead standing up from the bed with his back to him. The action makes him think that the redhead doesn’t believe him, or perhaps he simply doesn’t care about his experience. In retrospect, it wasn’t worse than anything that happened to the people of Eclipsis, but that wasn’t the reason he told the redhead. He just hopes Axel gets that.

The redhead walks across the room, kneeling by the Prince’s bag. He rustles through it and then turns back to Roxas, walking towards him and holding out the leather flask to him in offering.

“I know you didn’t.” The redhead murmurs.

Roxas glances up at him in surprise, seeing the empathetic look on Axel’s face. The redhead rubs the back of his head sheepishly. “From the moment I found out about your guys’ plan, I knew something was off.” He elaborates quietly. “You had no experience or knowledge of the land. It didn’t make sense.”

The blond stares down at the water bottle, accepting it and popping the cap off. His throat is thankful for the liquid, feeling it travel down his throat and into his belly. The relief that comes from Axel’s words and his gesture makes the Prince almost tear up again, but he forces himself to calm down. He’s been crying a lot lately and it’s beginning to annoy him.

The bed dips once again as Axel sits next to him, the outside of his thigh touching the blond’s. Roxas wipes at his face hastily, letting out a shaky breath and sniffles again. His breath hitches when he feels the redhead’s hand resting against his back gently, rubbing in small circles.

Axel pauses in his actions when the blond stills, pulling his hand back. “Uh, sorry. Was that weird?” He asks, glancing to the side. “My mother always used to do that to make me feel better.” He admits.

Roxas stares at him, noticing the flustered expression on his face and releases a small breath of amusement. “No, it’s okay. It just surprised me is all.” He replies quietly.

He sees the redhead’s arm raise again to resume rubbing along his back. The Prince closes his eyes at the feeling, allowing himself to be comforted by Axel.

“I didn’t mean to make it about me.” Roxas says quietly, taking another sip of the water.

“I know.” The redhead responds immediately. “You wanted me to get that you know your father has done bad things.” Axel says, his tone gentle.

The blond nods to himself, glad that the older man understands. “After my mother died, he said that one who was weak enough to die so easily wasn’t worthy of being by his side.” He admits, gritting his teeth. “I just kept on thinking: What kind of monster says that about anyone, let alone their wife?”

The redhead frowns and his hand starts moving upwards to rub along his shoulders gently. He presses himself closer to the Prince, his body feeling warm. Roxas is surprised to find that the action helps him calm down, his anger and sadness starting to deplete.

“Not someone who preaches about peace and prosperity like he invented it.” Axel says sarcastically.

Roxas lets out a quiet laugh, then frowns at the ground afterwards as he places the cap of the flask back on and sets it down. “You must have hated coming to the Celebration.” He muses, thinking back to it. To any citizen of Eclipsis it must be like a sick, twisted joke to celebrate their so-called “peace”.

The redhead sighs, shrugging. “Well, I wasn’t exactly itching to tag along. It wasn’t completely awful though. I’d never seen such lands before; it felt like I was in a whole other world.” He recalls.

Roxas looks to him as the redhead continues. “And on the first day in, I saw a cute Prince who stood on ceremony with his boots completely unlaced.” He teases, smirking at the blond knowingly.

His comment takes Roxas off guard, his lips parting slightly in shock before his face warms up in embarrassment at being called cute and the reminder of the unflattering memory. He lets out a disgruntled noise, resting his hands in his face.

“How dare you bring that up right now,” he groans out in defeat.

Axel chuckles lowly, his hand moving down his back again. The action is deliberately slow, making the blond very aware of his touch. His hand pauses when it’s on the Prince’s lower back, then his thumb starts stroking against it softly. Roxas gulps at the feeling, raising his head slowly to meet Axel’s gaze again.

His emerald eyes stare into his own with a lazy contentment to them, like the redhead has Roxas right where he wants him. “Couldn’t help it. I had a feeling you’d get embarrassed if I brought it up.” He teases.

The blond is nearly grumbling to himself now and he glares to the side in a huff. So, he wanted to play this game huh? Well, the blond could join in.

“Just like you would if I brought up that you were jealous of Xion earlier?” He asks innocently, cocking his head to the side.

Now Axel’s eyes widen at being called out so easily. Even in the dark the Prince can see the slightest flush of red in Axel’s face as he stares at Roxas in shock.

He recovers quickly though, catching his bottom lip in his teeth in a feral grin as his eyes glint with delight. “Alright, you got me there.” He admits, his pressure on the blond’s back deepening. Roxas feels himself leaning into the touch as a thrill shoots down his body. The way Axel stares at him makes the Prince think about their actions together yesterday. He catches himself glancing at the redhead’s lips, wanting to kiss that stupid smirk off of his face.

Roxas gulps and lifts one of his arms, resting his hand against Axel’s sternum. His eyes are glued onto his hand as it strokes the redhead’s chest, refusing to meet Axel’s eyes. He’s well aware that his face is flushed fiery red at this point and doesn’t need to feel himself getting more embarrassed about it if he looks at the redhead’s taunting expression.

To his surprise, Axel remains quiet as the blond’s hand starts trailing up his chest. He brushes his thumb in a light sweep across the man’s clavicle, then snakes his hand back around his neck and ghosts his fingertips along the nape of Axel’s neck. The Prince would be lying if he said he didn’t feel a sudden rush of excitement when he sees the bump in Axel’s throat move slightly as the man swallows thickly.

Finally, Roxas flickers his eyes up to Axel’s emerald hues, which look like they’ve shifted into a dark haze in a matter of seconds. They are almost as dark green as the leaves in the forests they trekked through in the past days. He stares at Roxas like the Prince is the one who has him wrapped around his finger now, as if his own eyes keep the redhead held in place.

Riku’s words from earlier come to his mind. _I’ve never seen you be afraid to take what you want. Don’t start now._

Roxas’ heart pounds in his chest in a quick pace at the thought and suddenly his fingers mover quick to work at the band tying Axel’s hair back. He frees the man’s spikes in a clean movement, then buries his hands into them and grips the locks tightly. He pulls the redhead down to him, unable to resist anymore and presses their lips together. The feeling is just as intense as their previous kisses and Roxas doesn’t realize that he’s been craving it again since then until their lips are brushing against each other’s.

He lets out the tiniest of gasps as Axel reciprocate into their kiss, pulling himself close to the blond and fully wrapping his arm around his waist. Though his clothes create a barrier separating the touch, Roxas feels electricity spark under his skin where the redhead holds him. Their kisses are slow and gentle, and the blond can already feel his mind begin to fog over in a haze of want, especially when he hears to quiet sound that comes from Axel as he runs his hands through the redhead’s hair.

Their tempo begins to pick up as the Prince feels Axel’s hand tighten around his waist and he lets out a quiet noise of surprise when the redhead pulls him onto his lap. His heart beats erratically as they break their kiss with the movement, even more so as their chests brush against each other in the new position. Roxas drops one of his hands from the man’s hair and rests it along Axel’s jawline, staring at him for another second before going back in for feverish kisses.

He feels the redhead's lips parting slightly with each new kiss, so Roxas follows in his steps and shudders with pleasure when he feels Axel’s tongue meet his. He sighs into the blissful feeling, his mind and body reacting so easily to every shift of the redhead’s hands moving up and down his back, and every caress of his lips against his own.

Roxas breaks away a moment later, staring down at Axel blankly as he pants quietly.

The redhead seems to notice something in his gaze. “What?” He asks quietly.

“You never told me why you met that person earlier.” The Prince recalls. He knows he most definitely ruined the moment by asking that question, but now that the thought is in his head he won’t be able to forget it now.

Axel lets out a disgruntled noise, leering at the blond with a frustrated look. “Let’s make a deal. I tell you why, and you let me taste your lips once more.” He reasons, his eyes still clouded with desire.

His words send excited but nervous flips in his stomach and Roxas finds himself nodding before he fully makes a decision. It’s not like he would protest to that in the first place.

“Good,” Axel murmurs at him. “We do your end of the bargain first.” He proclaims.

Before Roxas can get a word in, the redhead has the back of his head in his hand and brings the Prince down for more kisses. This time Axel resumes their feverish actions quickly, pressing open mouth kisses against the blond’s. Roxas hums lowly in pleasure as the redhead’s tongue tangles with his, unable to deny how much he enjoys the feeling. It’s like he could kiss Axel for hours and still be elated at the way it ignites a fever inside of him. He never knew he was capable of feeling such a way and quite honestly doesn’t want to ever give it up. Axel brings one of his hands up to the blond’s neck, but when he touches a sore spot the blond gasps in pain and breaks away from their kiss once more.

When he sees the redhead’s confused look again, he brings a hand to the muscle. “I-…sorry. My neck is just really sore…” He murmurs, feeling embarrassed. He feels like he’s not very good at this.

Axel seems to sense his unease, then gives him a small smile. “Come on, let’s lay down.” He requests gently, nodding to the bed.

Roxas glances at the bed and nods as well, removing himself from the redhead’s lap and laying how he was previously with his back facing the inside of the bed. His face burns warmly, still feeling flustered about ruining the moment and he shuts his eyes tightly as he hears Axel shifting from behind him. He has to resist the urge to turn around stare at the man again, instead trying to calm his fluttering heart.

“Are you going to sleep before I tell you what I was doing?” The redhead asks lowly from behind him, his voice rich to the Prince’s ears. The reminder makes him perk up slightly.

“Oh, right,” he murmurs while looking at the wall across the room again. “I’ll stay awake for you to tell me.”

He can practically feel the man’s smirk as he hums in response. Then in the next moment Roxas gasps quietly when he feels redhead’s fingertips resting on the sore spot of his neck.

“Here?” The redhead asks, trailing his finger around the skin in a small circle.

Roxas gets out a weak ‘yes’ in response, biting on his lip when Axel starts rubbing the muscle with very light pressure. The Prince almost barks out at him to stop, but his touch is warm and it feels good against the sore muscle.

“I was paying that man because I wanted to get a message sent.” The redhead explains quietly as his fingers continue to work at Roxas’ neck.

The blond furrows his eyebrows, then grits hits teeth when Axel starts applying more pressure on his neck. It starts to hurt a bit, but in a good way oddly enough.

“To who?” He questions, suppressing a soft groan when the redhead applies pressure on a large knot.

“A friend of mine. We’ve worked together in the past.” Axel replies.

Roxas closes his eyes gently, unable to contain a small whine when Axel’s thumb presses deeply into his sore muscle. The redhead’s actions pause for just a moment before he resumes again, his touch lighter this time. The Prince decides to not acknowledge it, pressing further.

“A mercenary too?” He asks.

“Yea.” The redhead answers lowly. His tone has changed a bit, making Roxas bite his lip nervously. Maybe he should have said something after all.

The Prince takes a small breath before asking another question. “What was the message?”

Axel doesn’t respond for a moment, instead focusing on massaging the blond’s neck. “If he responds to me, I’ll tell you. Until then, it’s not worth mentioning.” He explains quietly.

That’s not the kind of answer Roxas likes hearing, but at the same time he’s not going to ask anymore questions. After everything that has happened tonight and all the words they’ve shared, the Prince doesn’t feel like trampling over it because of his curiosity. At this point, he feels confident in trusting Axel and will just have to accept the redhead’s answer for now.

So, he nods carefully and murmurs in response, “Okay.”

With that being said, no more words are exchanged between the two and Roxas feels sleep come easily to him as Axel continues to work at his sore neck gently.

* * *

When sleep fully consumes Roxas, he gets a familiar feeling that he experienced days ago in one of his dreams. It starts with his body temperature beginning to rise ever so slowly. Blooming in his core, a warm feeling begins balling itself inside of him. Then as time passes, it starts spilling into the rest of his body from his arms to the tips of his fingers and down to his feet. It starts to make him feel hot and fuzzy, his dream becoming foggy.

Eventually it gets to a point where Roxas is left panting uncomfortably, wishing that there was a way to control the tight feeling inside of him or get some kind of release. His chest starts becoming constricted, and then suddenly there’s something pressing against him. His body instinctually moves towards it, feeling sparks of pleasure begin to ignite is his groin. It feels so good, but it’s not anywhere close enough to what he wants, no _needs_ to feel right now.

He finds himself shifting his hips down into the feeling, almost moaning out in pleasure at the feeling it causes inside of him. A dream has never felt so realistic before, Roxas swearing that he’s gasping in reality, but unable to actually tell due to his state of mind. He keeps on giving his body into the feeling, his mind swimming with thoughts of pleasure and excitement. It’s not long before the Prince notices how the tightness inside of him starts to peak. His hips twitch with the movement, practically begging for the ecstatic feeling to stay. He’s close, oh Gods so _close-_

The sound of a throat clearing rips through Roxas’ dream, waking him instantly and realizing that he’s sleeping with his head buried into something. He pulls back slightly, enough to make out the fact that his head was nestled in Axel’s neck. He freezes in realization, becoming aware that he is on _top_ of the redhead and that he is still very clearly…excited for a lack of a better word.

His eyes flick upwards to meet Axel’s, only to see the redhead staring at him with both of his eyebrows raised in an expression that the blond can’t really read. Roxas starts to pull away hastily, but as he moves the redhead grabs him and pulls the Prince back on top of his body.

One of the redhead’s hands comes to hold his chin, forcing their gazes together again. Roxas knows he’s bright red in the face, unable to try and cover this up.

“Oh, I don’t think so,” Axel murmurs to him, his voice raspy from waking up. “Where do you think you’re going?” He asks huskily, trailing one of his hands down Roxas’ body and resting it on the back of his thigh. He pulls the blond’s leg to the side of him so the Prince is half-straddling the man and Roxas can’t help the gasp the escapes him when the heat between his legs brushes up against Axel’s. The realization that the redhead is in the same predicament as him makes the Prince nearly shudder in excitement and Roxas bites his lip when the redhead’s hand rubs the back of his thigh slowly. The blond isn’t able to respond verbally, gripping his shirt tightly and leaning his head back down into the man’s neck.

“Kind of rude of you to crawl on top of me, grind down on me in your sleep and try to walk away after, hmm?” He purrs teasingly into the blond’s ear as both of his hands comes to rest on the Prince’s backside and squeeze firmly.

The Prince inhales sharply at the feeling, his hips jerking against the redhead’s involuntarily. He actually moans quietly this time, unable to find his voice as he nods into the crook of Axel’s shoulder.

The older man runs his hands along the blond’s backside, raising his own hips lights to rub against Roxas in a fluid moment. The blond just bites down onto Axel’s shoulder to hold back the cry of pleasure, holding onto the older man like he’ll die if he lets go. He can’t believe he did such a thing in his sleep, but considering how charged his body is right now, it’s very possible.

Instead of saying anything else, Axel chooses to continue their actions. He rocks himself against the blond, guiding Roxas’ hips to meet his own and eliciting small gasps of pleasure from the Prince. Roxas thinks this is even better than the dream, the feeling of their bodies against one another making him  come closer to the edge much quicker than before. He nearly chokes on his own gasp as his body tenses, the pleasurable feeling making him shut his eyes tightly and shudder against the redhead as he climaxes. His skin feels hot and electric, nearly jerking his hips as Axel’s actions start slowing down.

Roxas breathes quietly into the man’s neck, his face feeling hot against Axel’s skin as he comes back to reality. He hears the redhead panting quickly from underneath him as well, even though he still feels Axel’s heat pressed against him. Before he can do anything, the redhead runs his hands up the Prince’s back and Roxas looks up to him questioningly.

“You should probably go clean yourself up.” The redhead murmurs to him with a wink, then pecks him on the lips and sits up. Roxas shifts off of Axel onto the bed, staring at the man walking towards the door. “Don’t want anyone seeing that we spent the night together, right?” He asks.

Roxas glances to the side, nodding. Riku knew that something was going on between them, but that didn’t mean he needed to know the details of it. And like he said the previous day, most people aren’t accepting of such relations between two men. If someone were to see them in such a way together, it would most likely result in some kind of confrontation. The Prince swallows thickly at the thought, wondering if his actions with Axel thus far have been such a good idea after all. It's like being so far from his regular life and home has made Roxas lose sight of how he is supposed to act and behave.

But then he frowns to himself; what _was_ his normal life? To live in a castle for the rest of his life, studying ancient texts and having to live with the secret that their nation's prosperity is a result of a merciless war and essential enslavement of people? Was that truly a life he wanted to live, knowing how it's devastated an entire country and countless innocents?

He keeps his gaze locked to the side as the door opens and closes quietly, only looking at it when Axel has left the room with an unsure expression.


	12. Severance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dang guys life really gets you busy sometimes. i feel bad that it's taken me so long to get this out, but alas school and work keeps ya occupied! i won't lie either, this chapter was very challenging for me to write, but either way i hope you enjoy it. i can't promise the next one will be out anytime soon cause it's the end of semester for me and things are crazy, but just know i'm working away at the story slowly!

Cloud blinks wearily, his eyes feeling like they’ve been glued shut for the duration of his sleep. He winces at the bright light of the sun’s early rays streaming through the windows, bringing his arm up to shield his face. He becomes aware of the pounding sensation in his head, mixed with a nauseous feeling inside of his stomach. Perhaps he drank too much last night.

As his thoughts begin to trail to the previous evening, he stills when the memory of Leon coming to visit him crosses his mind. Cloud sits up sharply, then shuts his eyes tightly as a wave of nausea rolls against the walls of his stomach and places a hand over it. The Prince stays still for a moment, thankful when the feeling starts to pass even though his skin starts feeling hot and he feels sweat building around his forehead. _This is not the time to be getting sick_ , he thinks to himself. There were too many things that needed his attention right now, so he couldn’t waste time trying to nurse his hangover or trying to recall the details of last night. After all, he is the only member of the royal family left in the castle.

The thought alone is a sobering reality, making Cloud blink at his bed in a daze. It’s like he’s truly become aware of the current situation, beginning to feel a bunch of different emotions hit him all at once.

Not one for dwelling on his irrational feelings though, the Prince forces himself out of bed and begins dressing himself for the day. He slips on a random undershirt and undergarments, internalizing the sadness he feels about his father’s passing even though the man was far from favourable at times. As he dresses himself in a tan long coat and ties his belt around it, he suppresses the worry he feels for both of his brother’s safety, resisting the urge to get down on his knees and pray that nothing happens to them. Finally as he ties up his boots, he locks his heart up from trying to dwell on the thoughts of Leon, mentally reminding himself that what he did was considered a crime by most and he put not only himself but the knight at risk by engaging in such a way together.

As he’s straightening himself out, a light knock raps from the other side of his bed, catching Cloud’s attention. He walks to the door without thought, grasping and turning the handle to reveal Aerith standing in front of him, a small smile adorned on her face.

And then Cloud almost breaks down right then and there, unable to prevent the overwhelming guilt consuming his entire being. He can barely meet her gaze as she gives him an empathic stare.

“Good morning Your Grace,” she says softly. Her voice is even more gentle than normal, as if she’s treading along a thin sheet of ice.

The Prince swallows thickly, forcing himself to remain steady. “Good morning Aerith.” He responds, his voice raspy from just waking up. He’s thankful that it gives him a bit of leeway.

“Would you join me to breakfast? The food has just been prepared.” She informs him, tucking some of her chestnut hair behind her ear.

Cloud looks down and shakes his head, immediately declining. “I’m afraid not, my lady. I have matters to attend to this morning.” He lies. The Prince didn’t think he’d be so nervous around Aerith, having no regard for the impact of his actions the previous night. Perhaps that was a result of the many drinks he consumed though. It made him less reliant of how he had to behave for others, and more dependent on what he wanted for once.

But now as he stands in front of the woman he was to marry in a matter of weeks, Cloud is faced with the guilt of knowing he lied to such a pure girl. Of all people, Aerith was the last to deserve such treatment. The Prince wants to reach out and grab her hands and confess his actions, his fingers at his side twitching in anticipation at the thought. But he knows he can’t tell her and he knows that even if he did, nothing would change. His fate had been decided long ago.

A crease forms its way between the brunette’s eyebrows for a moment in worry at Cloud’s response. Still, she resigns herself to accepting the Prince’s answer and keeps her gaze to the ground. “Of course, Your Grace. I understand.” She says.

Cloud knows that Aerith is sincere in her words, but it doesn’t make him feel better in the slightest. In fact, it just adds to the contempt inside of him more, causing the Prince to clench his jaw tightly. He can’t even bring himself to kiss her cheek or hold her hand for a moment before excusing himself and stalking down the large hallway without a glance behind him. She’s much too good of a woman for someone like him. Aerith deserved a man who would truly cherish her and love her the way she ought to be; unlike the sad attempts Cloud feigned towards her.

As he enters the grand entrance, Cloud calls to the first servant he sees and orders him to assemble the grand council in the west wing. After he’s finished giving the order, the servant immediately begins walking away to complete the task.

“One more thing,” Cloud calls to the servant impulsively. The man turns to the blond once more with a nod of his head in response. “Have the Royal Guards finished their morning training?” The Prince asks.

“Not yet, Your Grace. Would you like to assemble them as well?” The man asks attentively.

The Prince shakes his head, clenching his fist tight at his side. “No, I was just curious. I will be waiting in the council room. Also, please have someone bring me some water.” He commands, beginning to walk towards the west wing.

“At once, Your Grace.” The servant responds, bowing his head and beginning to complete his task.

Cloud takes his time in his pursuit to the councillor’s room, feeling slightly relieved that Leon would still be busy with his morning training for the time being. And with how long he expected this meeting to be, it would buy the Prince even more time away from the brunet to which he was thankful for. If seeing Aerith was enough to get such a strong gut reaction from him, he didn’t want to know what seeing Leon would do at the moment.

Mainly due to the fact the despite all of the guilt, Cloud felt no regret for his actions.

* * *

After Roxas has changed his clothes and packed his bag once more, he makes sure to leave a gold coin under the pillow on the bed for Kairi. When he steps into the main room of the small inn, he sees Axel, Kairi and Xion sitting at a table together chatting quietly. The three of them look up as he enters and the blond simply nods in greeting to them, having to shift his eyes away from the redhead when he sees the way Axel’s gaze meets his with a knowing glint. His hair is tied back up once more and all Roxas seems to be able to think is that he much prefers it down.

“Good morning Roxas,” Kairi says to him as she sips from a small cup. “Did you sleep well?” She asks.

The recollection of the previous night and the actions that occurred between him and Axel just shortly ago are on the forefront of Roxas’ mind when she asks him, but the blond mentally forces the thoughts away as he approaches the table and takes the seat next to the redhead.

“I did, thank you for asking.” He murmurs quietly, feeling his face warm a little bit. The Prince glances around the room for a moment then looks to the auburn-haired girl again. “Is Riku awake yet?” He asks.

Kairi shakes her head. “Mm, no. I haven’t seen him yet.” She comments. “But that’s not important right this moment. I heard that you saved this girl’s life yesterday.” She continues, gesturing towards Xion, who offers Roxas a small smile. Her face is still bruised from where the man hit her last night, but she doesn’t seem too bothered by it.

The blond rubs the back of his head sheepishly for a moment. “I just got her out of a bad situation is all.” He replied candidly.

The Prince notices Kairi rolling her eyes in response, setting her cup down on the wooden table gently. Even Axel scoffs quietly at his reply, resting his crossed arms on the table and giving Roxas an eye roll.

“You are truly a humble man, aren’t you?” Xion asks him softly.

Roxas’ face flushes at the compliment, unable to meet her eyes in his embarrassment. Axel cuts in before he has a chance to respond. “It’s kind of annoying, really.” The redhead says. Roxas ignores the way the man’s words send an extra loud thump in his chest.

“Oh shush you,” Kairi hisses at him, standing up to walk towards the kitchen. She returns a moment later with an extra cup, resting it in front of the Prince who nods at her in thanks. “You could learn a thing or two from Roxas.” Kairi adds as she sits down again. Roxas smirks slightly as he sips the herbal tea, blowing on it gently before drinking. Axel simply groans in protest at Kairi.

A few moments later, the door to the hallway opens to reveal Riku, the knight dressed in his armour and ready with their other bag slung over his shoulder. Roxas notices right away that the knight is exhausted, his tired eyes indicating that he didn’t have much rest the night before. The Prince silently wonders what could have disturbed his sleep as he watches Riku approach them and greet them with a grunt. He sits on the side of Roxas that is unoccupied, then glances up at Xion with an interested gaze and stares at her bruise.

“This is Xion,” the Prince says, gesturing to the black-haired girl who smiles shyly at Riku. “We…crossed paths last night.” He explains vaguely.

The knight turns to give Roxas a skeptical look, raising an eyebrow. “Last night? What were you doing by yourself?” He asks with an edge to his tone, clearly not impressed with the Prince’s words.

“He wasn’t by himself,” Axel replies before the blond does. “I was with him too. Had a late night rendezvous with a friend.” He explains casually, sipping his tea.

Riku stares at Axel for a few moments in thought, probably trying to figure out if he can trust the redhead or not. The knight’s gaze trails back to meet Roxas’ and the Prince simply nods to emphasize Axel’s point. Then, Riku’s eyes narrow down and he leers at the two in the silence.

It takes Roxas a few seconds to catch onto why the knight is giving them such a look, then his eyes widen in realization and he waves his hand back and forth. “We can talk about this more later. Introduce yourself already.” The blond commands gruffly as he lowers his gaze to his tea in embarrassment.

Riku does as he’s told, focusing on Xion again with a small nod. “My apologies, my lady. I’m Riku, one of Roxas’ friends.” He explains.

The black-haired girl nods slowly in understanding, offering him a smile. “It’s alright. It’s good to meet you Riku, and I assure you Roxas was more than capable of handling things by himself.” She adds. The girl’s eyes meet Roxas’ for a moment and he smiles back at her in thanks.

Riku crosses his arms over the table with a sigh. “That’s not what I worry about. I’m just scared he’d set the whole town off with his antics.” He muses aloud.

Roxas gives the knight a treacherous look, his mouth hung open in shock. “You take that back!” He cries, glaring hotly at the silver-haired teen. Riku simply laughs in response, shaking his head.

“No way,” he calls back teasingly. It’s the first time Roxas has heard him speak in such a way in a long time. “It’s the truth.” Riku affirms.

“Uh-huh.” Axel agrees with a low sound. Roxas whips his head around to the redhead now with an annoyed expression, narrowing his gaze. “Riku is right Roxas. Left to your own devices you’d do something crazy like leap off of a bridge.”

“I would most certainly not!” The Prince protests in a flustered manner. His response causes everyone at the table to laugh, making Roxas bite his tongue in embarrassment.

Riku stands up again with a last chuckle, leaving the bag at the table. “I’m going to go gather our horses so we can set off.”

“You’re leaving already?” Kairi asks with a sad expression, looking from Riku to Axel. The redhead simply shrugs, nodding at her.

“I’m afraid so, Kairi. We have much to do.” The knight says with a remorseful tone. “But we’re so thankful you allowed us to stay the night. How much is the nightly rate?”

The auburn-haired girl shakes her head back and forth. “Oh, please. It was my pleasure to see Axel again and meet you two.” She explains.

Roxas gives the girl a surprised look, his eyes widening slightly. The girl had given them most of the available rooms and didn’t want them to pay? It was too much for the blond to accept, especially recalling all of the things Axel told him the night before about all of the struggles the people went through.

Riku seems to also be surprised, blinking at Kairi. “Surely you jest, my lady. We occupied three rooms. Allow us to compensate you.” He urges.

Still, the auburn-haired girl refuses to budge. “That’s enough, Riku. I’ve made up my mind and it’s not changing, so you best retrieve those horses.” She proclaims with a confident smile.

Riku gives her a small smirk, shaking his head and accepting the answer. “If you say so.” He retorts back playfully, beginning to turn around and make his way to the exit.

"I do say so," she coos to the knight's retreating form, giving Roxas a quick wink as their gazes meet.

As Riku is about to step out, Xion calls out to his from the table and the silver-haired teen pauses and half turns to her. Roxas gives her a curious gaze too, not expecting her to have spoken up all of a sudden.

“Yes, Xion?” Riku asks her.

The girl’s eyes stare at the knight inquisitively. “That sword… may I ask where you obtained it?” She asks cautiously.

Riku blinks at her, clearly not having expected the question. He looks down to the sheathed sword tied to his belt, resting his gaze on it for a moment. He meets Xion’s gaze again and nods. “It was passed down to me from my father.” He answers simply.

“I see.” Xion answers quietly. Roxas heard the hesitance in her voice as she responded and it makes the Prince get an odd feeling inside of him. Xion nods and smiles softly once more as she continues. “Pardon me, it’s just a beautiful blade.” She clarifies, her voice returning to one with warmth.

The knight shakes his head. “It’s quite alright my lady. If you’ll excuse me,” he says, turning back to the door and exiting.

Roxas blinks at Xion once more in thought before standing up as well. “We can escort you back to your home if you’d like, Xion.” He offers to her.

The black-haired girl’s attention turns back to Roxas and she stares at him in thought for a moment before blinking and nodding. “I would be thankful for you to do that.” She says, though there’s a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Roxas tries to pay it no mind as he looks to Axel. The redhead begins standing up as well, thanking Kairi for the tea.

“Well be back shortly,” Axel tells Kairi. The auburn-haired girl nods with a small smile, waving them off as they gather at the door.

“Xion, if you ever need a place to stay again you are always welcome here.” Kairi offers the black-haired girl. Xion gives her a shy smile in response, thanking her quietly as they exit the inn. It’s still early in the morning, the skies still in a state of dawn with a few clouds rolling by. The streets are still quite busy despite the early hours, Roxas observing the people walking by with a fixated gaze as his thoughts trail back to everything Axel told him last night. As he stares at a woman walking by, her clothes old and tattered as she holds an infant child to her chest and looking sickly, his throat gets tight. Then he sees an older man moving much slower than most as he walks and he gets bumped by a group of young men, who pay him no mind as they talk.

After his lack of walking, Axel and Xion begin trailing down the steps of the inn and Roxas pulls the hood of his cape up, following close behind. Right around a corner of the street he sees two children curled up together against a building, their feet bare and bodies dirty. One of them sleeps against the other, who is staring out at the streets blankly. Again, Roxas feels his throat constrict and all he can wonder is: How was this possible? How is it that he and his brothers were ignorant of their country’s history, and why has it been kept hidden?

A sliver of doubt is kept deep inside of Roxas, unable to let go of the argument that perhaps Axel was lying to him. It felt like a weak line to walk even as he thinks about it, but then he starts feeding into the doubt even more. Roxas knows that Sora had no idea about such history, and Cloud surely didn’t either, otherwise his brother would have prevented him from travelling to Eclipsis in the first place. Riku most definitely had no idea much like himself and the Prince was confident none of the others at the castle would know.

Except his father.

That’s the variable that makes Roxas unable to truly believe in his denial. After seeing how his father could treat his mother with no importance or care after she fell ill, the blond wasn’t sure he even knew who his father really was. The Prince wasn’t exactly eager to pursue that curiosity either, especially following his father’s cruel actions towards them all.

As his mind continues to reel, he is unaware of the fact that they have already made it back to the area of town where Roxas found Xion last night. He doesn’t recognize the buildings around them, mainly due to the fact that it was dark the last time he was here, but the blond takes in the large building in front of them where Axel and Xion have stopped. He hears the steady sound of metal clinking, then finally understands when he sees the small wooden sign with a hammer on it.

He looks back to Xion, seeing that the girl is staring at him curiously. “This is your home?” He asks quizzically.

She gives a small laugh. “It’s further in the building. The front of it is my father’s shop.” She explains with a shake of her head.

Roxas nods in understanding, letting out a small noise of recognition. “I see. Well, you’d better go let him know you’re safe.”

Xion nods, then her gaze becomes serious for a moment. “If I may, could I have a word with you in private before you go Roxas?” She asks, glancing at Axel for a moment before meeting his eyes again.

The Prince is silent, but he nods nonetheless and gives the redhead a quick look. Axel shrugs a shoulder as he walks a distance away, giving the two some privacy.

“I know Riku said he is your friend, but you need to be very careful around him.” Xion says to him lowly, her voice laced with a tone of fear and hostility that takes Roxas off guard.

“What?” He could only ask her, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

“He might not be who you think he is.” The girl continues, sounding confident in her accusation. “It was his sword. I’ve seen the make of that particular blade, and it belongs to that of Destiny Islands.” She murmurs to him, her face close to his as she explains.

Roxas’ blood goes cold at her words, fearing that everything is about to get pulled under the rug. He tries his best to diverge the situation though, shaking his head. “C-come on Xion, maybe they just look similar. He said he got it from his father, after all.” He reasons, his voice sounding weak.

The black-haired girl shakes her head back and forth vehemently. “Roxas, you have to believe me. I’ve worked alongside my father for many years and seen the blades he produces. He’s had to make those types before to send as our payment to the Islands.” She bites out, her words becoming bitter at the end. “I’d know it anywhere.”

Roxas swallows thickly, his gaze lowering to the ground for a moment. “I appreciate your concern Xion, but I’ve known Riku for a long time. I can trust him.” He insists.

"I only tell you because I know you're a good person." Xion continues, her eyes full of sincerity. "I don't want something bad to happen to you."

The Prince's mouth goes dry at her words and he has to force himself to respond, his voice quiet. "Thank you, but I'll be okay."

She gives him another once over, her eyes studying the Prince intently. It makes Roxas tense again, but then the black-haired girl looks to the side and nods.

“I see. Well, perhaps I was mistaken after all then.” She states lowly. Her eyes narrow as she gazes off to the side, becoming sharp. “But beware Roxas, Islanders will do whatever it takes to get what they want. My grandfather was killed by them, a man who wasn’t even a soldier.” She explains to him in a cold tone. “They’re deceptive and merciless. Every last one of them.” She finishes, annunciating her last sentence harshly and gritting her teeth.

Roxas has to fight back the instinctual want to deny her words in his frustration and a surprising amount of hurt he feels after she speaks, mentally reminding himself to breathe. “I know. I’ll be careful, I assure you.” He manages to get out, his voice sounding surprisingly calm despite the different emotions at bay inside of him.

She seems to calm down a little bit, stepping back and brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. “Forgive me, I shouldn’t even be worried. After seeing your power last night, I’m certain there’s little who could stand in your way.” Xion says.

Roxas can’t seem to find anymore words, choosing to give her a strained smile and a nod of his head. The girl comes forward one more time, grabbing his hands gently and murmuring a quick goodbye to him.

“I should hope to see you again one day,” Xion says to him before walking back to her house.

The Prince can only manage a weak acknowledgement in response, staring at the black-haired girl walking away and when she closes the old wooden door behind her, Roxas clenches his fist at his side tightly. He snaps out of it when Axel comes near, the redhead trailing to him with a passive expression.

“You look upset,” Axel murmurs to him as they start making their way back to the inn.

Roxas keeps his gaze low, feeling the last of his anger start to bleed out with every step he takes. He was taken by complete shock at how fast Xion’s entire personality changed when she started speaking about his people.

“I’m fine.” The blond insists, even though he’s well aware that his tone is unconvincing.

Axel doesn’t say anything to him further as they walk back, which the Prince has no quarrels with as his mind continues to think back to Xion’s accusing words. Roxas can only wonder what she would have done had she known who he really was. Would she have spoken the same words had she known, or would she have cursed him out and called for someone to attack him?

Somehow the Prince can only believe that Xion would not have treated him with such kindness if she truly knew, which makes Roxas frown at the ground as they tread. The way she spoke when she informed him of her suspicion of Riku reminded the blond of the man who was delivering his angry speech the day before in front of the other civilians. Roxas could see the anger and frustration in her eyes and hear the pain laced in with her cold words, carrying great resentment.

The blond looks up as the inn comes into sight again, seeing Riku standing in front of it with the three horses saddled with their bags tied down. Kairi is standing on the top step of the porch, chatting with the knight quietly as a small smile adorns her face. She looks up to Roxas and Axel as they approach, her expression falling a little bit. The auburn-haired girl steps down, waiting for the two to approach with her hands folded neatly in front of her.

Axel approaches her, giving Kairi a lazy smirk. “Come on, don’t look so upset.” He says cheeringly.

Her lips purse a little and she gives the redhead a hard stare. “I’m not upset,” she denies easily enough, crossing her arms.

Axel simply raises an eyebrow at her, then Kairi exhales and grumbles. “Fine,” she says, stalking to him and giving the redhead a hug. The older man hugs her back tightly, patting her back assuringly.

“I’ll be back before you know it.” He says to her, pulling away.

Roxas thinks he sees the auburn-haired girl’s eyes tearing up a little bit. “You better.” She declares sternly. “If you make me wait as long as last time, I’ll hunt you down myself.”

Axel simply chuckles, raising his hands in defeat. “I think that’s fair.” He agrees with a shrug.

Kairi looks to Roxas next, giving him a slight nod. “I wish you luck on your travels Roxas.” She offers gently, her eyes warm.

“Thank you Kairi,” the Prince starts. He glances at the bags attached to their horse. “I want to give you something as a thank you for allowing us to stay.” He proclaims.

The girl shakes her head. “No, I already told Riku I’m not taking your coin and that’s not changing.” She counters firmly.

“It’s not coin,” he says, not bothering to mention the gold her left in his room for her. Roxas approaches the horses, working to open the bag and remove one of the potions. He turns back and holds the small bottle out to her, placing it in her open palm.

“It’s a medicine.” He explains to her, noticing the puzzled look on her face. “For your father. Give that bottle to him to drink and it should cure his illness.”

She studies the bottle for a moment, still seeming confused. “What? Where did you get such a thing?” Kairi asks, seemingly a little skeptical. Not that Roxas can blame her if this is the first time she’s seen such a concoction.

“I study medicine,” he lies quickly, even though it feels wrong. “It’s made from herbs and plants native to this area.”

She nods once or twice, holding the bottle tightly to her body. “Roxas, this…is amazing.” Kairi says, swallowing thickly. Her voice shakes a little bit as she continues. “I don’t know how to thank you-“

“Don’t thank me,” he interrupts abruptly. Kairi blinks at him in surprise and Roxas glances down sheepishly. What would she think if she really knew who he and Riku were? Would she still give him her kindness and thanks, or would she turn malicious like Xion did when she was just suspicious of Riku?

The knight steps in, quickly noticing the change in the Prince’s tone. “You were most kind to host us Kairi.” He praises, still grasping the reigns of the horses.

Kairi turns her attention to Riku, giving him a sweet smile and approaching him. She reaches her free hand up to rest against his jaw, turning his face gently to peck him on the cheek. “You are always welcome to return,” she says.

Riku flushes at her gesture but smiles and nods nonetheless, making Roxas raise an eyebrow at him. The Prince doesn’t think he’s ever seen the knight have that kind of a reaction before.

Axel doesn’t seem too impressed anymore, waving a hand as he walks towards the two to take a horse from Riku. “Alright, enough of that. I’m taking Riku far, far away from here.” He mutters, giving the silver-haired teen an annoyed expression. The knight in turn just gives Axel a triumphant smirk, as if he’s very pleased with himself at the moment.

Kairi just laughs, taking a step back as the three of them raise themselves onto their horses. Her eyes are fond with a bit of sadness in them, but she does a good job of hiding it. “Come home soon, Axel.” She says to him softly, before looking at Roxas and Riku. “And come visit again, Roxas and Riku.”

The three of them give her a nod, giving their last goodbyes and Axel begins steering his horse down the street to lead. Riku waves a last time at Kairi before they follow and Roxas can’t shake the heavy feeling inside of him as they make their way towards the outskirts of town to continue their travel.

* * *

Cloud exhales quietly as he lowers his cup from his mouth, doing his best to pay attention to the words that a councillor speaks to him, the older man’s deep voice seemingly droning on and on. He’s not sure how long it’s been since the meeting has begun, but it has surely been hours at the very least. The man says something about the impact of the boats lock down on the supply of fish available and how the fishermen are becoming upset that they are forced to be without work. Cloud lowers his cup gently, focusing his attention of the golden designs on it momentarily.

The councillors had offered him suggestions on what to do, but the Prince found himself disagreeing with their ideas. They just figured compensating the men for their work would put them at ease, but it wouldn’t even solve the lack of food issue. Cloud thought this was plain as day to see, yet none of the councillors suggested it to him.

So, the Prince began countering them. “Compensating the men would indeed resolve their frustrations, but what of the decline of fishing? It’s been nearly a week that the boats have been stagnant. Yen Sid,” he pauses, turning his attention to the elder. “How many days of supply are left to feed us?” He asks.

“About three or four, Your Grace.” The man answers right away, his voice low and calm.

Cloud turns his attention back to the councillor. “I hardly think it’s appropriate to wait until those days are up to start acting again.”

The councillor gives him a surprised look. “B-but Your Grace, what of the searches? Perhaps the ones responsible for your brother’s kidnapping are waiting for this opportunity-“

Cloud has to resist scoffing at the man’s words as he cuts in. “Again councillor, it has been nearly a week of searching and no results.” He says confidently, finding it easier to lie about the situation the more he speaks on it. “I will see that all boats are searched top to bottom before they set sail to ensure safety.”

Then, the man’s eyes narrow ever-so-slightly at the Prince and Cloud can tell even from his distance away that the councillor is not pleased with his words. “Your Grace, I must advise you against this.” He reasons once more.

“You have,” Cloud responds coolly, leaning back in his seat and taking another sip of his water. “And I hear your words, councillor. But they don’t address our food supply issue and I will not watch the people go hungry as the guards conduct fruitless searches.” He explains, his voice quiet but confident.

Cloud sees the way the councillor’s jaw tenses, but the man resigns himself with a small nod. “Very well, Your Grace.” He mutters, looking to the table.

As the Prince spares a quick glance around the table, he sees that some of the councillors are staring at him with hard gazes. He tries not to narrow his eyes in skepticism, wondering if maybe he’s just being paranoid. Cloud turns his attention to Yen Sid again, addressing the man.

“See that the lockdown is lifted. I want a list of each ship that sails out and at least two guards are to attend the trips with them.” He orders. Yen Sid says nothing in response, simply closing his eyes and nodding once.

“Allow me to oversee it for you Your Grace!” The councillor who he was just disagreeing with speaks up. His eyes are wide and his fist is clenched atop of the table. “I will provide your daily reports on the fishermen’s travel.” He suggests.

Cloud gives him a stare for a couple of seconds, again getting a weird instinctual feeling about the man. He doesn’t really have an explanation for it, deciding that he shouldn’t let his emotions cloud his judgement. “Yes councillor. See to it then.” He declares.

“Thank you, Your Grace.” The man says, offering a smile and seemingly fine again.

The Prince nods once, folding his hands atop of the table. “That will be all for now, gentlemen.” He dismisses, having decided this was enough to deal with for now. Cloud keeps his eyes on the table even as the men rise and bow to him before exiting. As they filter through the door to the hallway, Cloud’s gaze remains down until the door closes once more. He’s surprised to see that Yen Sid has remained at the table, the older man regarding him with a blank stare.

“Is there something you wish to say?” Cloud asks him carefully.

The man shakes his head once. “Not particularly, Your Grace. I simply prefer to be free from the presence of the councillors as much as possible.” He explains.

The blond lets out a huff of amusement, feeling himself relax as he drinks from his cup again. “Glad to know I’m not the only one.” He murmurs, glancing at the large chandelier handing above the table. After another moment of silence, Cloud sees the older man stand carefully, his long robes hanging loosely from his body.

“If you’ll excuse me, Your Grace. I will go attend to the instructed matters.” He says, bowing his head.

Cloud nods at the man. “Thank you.”

After the older man has exited and Cloud is left by himself in the room, he lets out a big exhale and leans back into his chair tiredly. At least now he was able to solve a few issues at hand that didn’t seem too challenging to work around. After all of the various things they talked about over the past hours, Cloud feels like his mind is still processing all of the different things and trying to work through them. It leaves him feeling rather overwhelmed and he decides that he needs to do something else to clear his mind.

The blond finds himself exiting the doors of the council room, beginning to stride down the large hallway. He nearly jumps in surprise when he hears his name called from behind him quietly, turning to see that Leon is standing next to one of the large pillars, staring at him hesitantly. Cloud swallows thickly, his heartbeat beginning to accelerate slowly.

Forcing himself to push through the instinctual nervous feeling, the blond speaks up. “Ah, Leon. Forgive me, I missed you.” He says, thankful for his calm voice carrying through.

Leon takes a step forward towards him, the brunet’s gaze unreadable. “It’s quite alright. You looked like you were thinking.” He comments.

The understatement of it all makes Cloud release a small breath, smiling ever-so-slightly despite how he is currently feeling. “Yes, I can already tell that every meeting I attend will be packed full of various matters that hold my attention.” He explains, surprised to hear the slight disappointed tone in his voice.

“Well,” Leon starts, his voice catching Cloud’s attention. The knight has an inviting gaze on his face now. “The meeting is over now, correct?”

The Prince finds himself nodding slowly, wondering what Leon might be getting at.

“Perhaps you are due for some routine training then.” The knight suggests, his gaze trailing to the side playfully before meeting Cloud’s eyes again.

He’s a little taken aback from Leon’s words, but at the same time is relieved that the knight seems fine with not acknowledging what happened the previous night. Cloud knows that it’s not the ideal situation he’d like to be in, but right now that doesn’t seem to matter. Because the blond feels the corner of his mouth turn upwards slightly after Leon’s suggestion, already beginning to feel his stresses temporarily forgotten.

“Yes, I suppose I am.” He echoes.

And so, the two of them make their way to the training grounds they used previously. Unfortunately partway through their sparring, Cloud finds himself becoming just as worked up and excited as he did previously. Maybe even more so this time around because as his and Leon's swords meet each other in a clash as they attack one another, the Prince can't help thinking back to the hazy memories of the previous night. He wonders if the sparks that ignite in his mind at the memory of their lips meeting in a fiery surge would hold up now if they did it again. When the thought enters his mind, Cloud accidentally drops his sword when Leon strikes at him once more and falls to the ground. As the knight rushes over to help him up, the blond realizes that last night wasn't just a matter of him giving into temptation; Cloud was now hopelessly addicted, craving the feeling of Leon tenfold this time.

* * *

 Hours have passed since Roxas, Riku and Axel officially left Hollow Bastion. The redhead suggested they ride along a less known path in order to continue their travels without chance of encountering other travellers. Riku and Roxas had no quarrels with the proposal, both of them trusting Axel’s judgement more than previously. Obviously Riku and Axel were still not on the best of terms, especially when the redhead began interrogating the knight like an overprotective father in regards to Kairi.

Roxas found it to be somewhat amusing, finding himself holding back a laugh when Riku told the redhead he promised Kairi he wouldn’t tell Axel anything. That only led to the older man getting more heated, actually proclaiming that he would have no problem roughing the silver-haired teen up if need be. Riku retorted with a comment about the fact that he was able to restrain Axel back on the Islands and that makes the redhead shut up with a fuming glare.

They ended up making a very quick pace throughout the day, riding along the vast fields until Roxas began to see the small road they were on joining onto a larger path. He calls to Axel, watching the redhead’s head turn towards the sound of his voice.

“Where are we now?” He asks the older man curiously.

Axel’s head turns back to the front as he speaks. “We’re about half-hour away from the Bridge of Twilight, which we have to cross to continue on path. There’s only one road that leads to it though.” He explains.

Ah, that explains the sudden joining of paths, Roxas thinks to himself. With his curiosity settled, the three continued to ride until the forming of a large structure came into view from a distance. As they approached the bridge, Roxas stares at it was a growing awe. At first it just looks like a large tower, built multiple stories high of stone. There are two observation pillars at the top, its patterns reminding him of his castle back in the Islands. As they come closer and closer, Roxas sees the entrance to the bridge, looking much small in comparison to the structure.

Axel slows his horse down a distance away from the bridge, waiting for Riku and Roxas to follow. Once the three of them are grouped, the redhead nods to the bridge. “I’ll go scope things out quickly and make sure no one’s coming from the other side.” He informs them. The two nod without much of a response, keeping their gaze on the back of the redhead as he commands his horse to gallop.

“Did you really fool around with Kairi?” Roxas finds himself asking as Axel approaches the entrance to the bridge.

“No, but he doesn’t need to know that.” Riku responds smugly.

The blond quirks his mouth upward, his eyes laced with amusement. “Playing mind games now?” He asks lightheartedly.

“Just trying to get a little revenge for all of his antics.” The knight answers. Roxas nods in understanding, relating to the silver-haired teen. Sure, him and Axel were on…favourable terms right now, but that didn’t mean the redhead didn’t still get under his skin and his previous actions had been entirely forgiven.

“Then…all the flirting with Kairi?” The Prince finds himself asking.

Riku pauses before responding. “Mainly to bug Axel. I think that’s why she did it back to me as well, because he hadn’t seen her in so long. Also a sort of revenge I’d say.” He says.

Roxas actually laughs out loud, shaking his head and looking down at the ground for a moment. “I can’t tell if that’s horrible or genius.” He comments.

“I prefer to think the latter.” Riku suggests, shrugging his shoulders.

After some time of them waiting, Axel finally appears from the bridge entrance again and pauses in front of it, waving to Roxas and Riku to follow. They both command their horses to gallop, setting towards the redhead. When they cross the entrance of the bridge, Roxas realizes how big it is and is surprised to say the least. The bridge extends for a couple hundred metres across and is rather wide, giving enough space for the three of them to ride side-by-side comfortably. Roxas stares out at the huge lake over the side of the bridge's barriers, momentarily distracted by the sight of it all. The bridge elevates them high above the water and the blond can’t help the nervous feeling that blossoms in his stomach, the height of it all making him anxious. He turns his attention forward again, commanding his horse to gallop in tow with Riku and Axel.

As they approach the mirroring tower exit of the bridge, Axel rides ahead so they can file through the small opening individually and Riku follows behind. Roxas is last, eager to get off of the structure and stares at the exit with haste as he approaches.

But just as Axel and Riku make it past the exit, Roxas is taken by surprise when his horse lets out a sudden cry and tumbles forward. The horse crashes to the ground and Roxas is thrown forward from the shift in momentum, attempting to break his fall by holding his arms out in front of him. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do much for him as his body slams against the stone bridge hard, the force of the impact causing him to roll a couple times and let out a cry of pain at the contact.

When he comes to a standstill the world is blurry and he lies still for a moment, trying to regain himself. He thinks he hears his name being yelled from a distance away and shakily sits up, holding a hand to his head and then looking down at it. He grunts when he sees his blood on his fingertips and looks towards his horse after it gives a weak cry. The steed is lying on the bridge, an arrow lodged deeply into its throat as blood pools out in thick streams. Roxas gasps at the sight and then glances over to the exit of the bridge when he hears his name called again. He sees that a metal gate has been lowered passed it and both Riku and Axel are on the other side of it, both men looking panicked.

Without intention Roxas’ head lulls back, feeling his mind become dizzy again. As his eyes glance upward, he makes out a figure atop of the pillars in the bridge tower. Roxas narrows his gaze, trying to stop his head from swaying and then his eyes widen when he realizes that it’s a person.

And they have a crossbow loaded and aimed at him.

His mind suddenly becomes sharper and he springs up, making a dash in the opposite direction to get as far away from the sniper as possible. He scoops up his bag that was thrown from the horse as well, mentally chanting to himself to not let the dizziness in his head prevent him from escaping. He hears the sound of an arrow whizzing by him, rebounding off the stone with a clinging noise. Roxas can’t help glancing behind him again, looking up at the tower and seeing the man working to load another arrow into the crossbow.

The Prince turns his attention back in front of himself, then nearly stumbles in his tracks as he forces himself to come to a halt. Up ahead and advancing towards him are three men, weapons in hand and commanding him to stop where he is. A moment after Roxas has stopped running, a piercing pain rips through his left arm and he jerks forward, falling to his knees and dropping his bag.

A quick pat to his arm tells him that he’s been shot by the sniper and the blond’s brain starts sending off alarms in a last sort of emergency panic. He forces himself to stand up, making a point to not look at the wound and grabbing his bag. He removes his wind tome with his uninjured arm, holding it tightly to his chest.

He glances back and forth between the man atop the tower in the process of loading his crossbow once more and the three men advancing towards him, their faces angry and threatening. Then time feels like it’s moving much slower than reality and Roxas wonders if this is where everything finally comes to an end.

* * *

Axel practically throws himself off of his horse, running towards the stone tower of the bridge. He glances upwards at the tall structure, sizing it up for a few seconds before he leaps up, grabbing hold of the stone walls and beginning to climb.

“What are you doing!?” Riku cries to him, tearing his gaze away from Roxas from the other side of the metal gate.

The redhead grits his teeth as he continues to climb. “Just shut up and wait for your opportunity!” He hisses downwards, climbing the structure as fast as he can.

Axel finds himself mentally cursing over and over again in his head as he continues to make his ascent. The mercenary can only wonder how he missed the guard patrolling the tower and the men who came from the opposite side. Obviously these men were waiting for a moment to attack unexpectedly, but why didn't they attack him when he scoped out the area? If they’d just wanted to loot them or perhaps even detain them and sell them, they would have simply closed the gate earlier, blocking the three of them from exiting.

But when the redhead saw how the sniper shot at Roxas repeatedly, he couldn’t believe they were wanting anything more to murder the Prince in cold blood. The realization of it all made Axel react without thought, deciding that he needs to do something, and something quick. He continues to move with a rigorous pace, adrenaline coursing through his veins and his heart pumping so loudly the redhead can feel it in his ears.

Soon enough he’s gripping the top of the tower, doing his best to keep silent as he hoists himself onto the platform. Axel sees the sniper lining up another shot towards Roxas, his arms raised with the loaded crossbow in his hands and reacts quickly. The redhead reaches for a knife on his belt, dashing towards the man with light steps and wraps his arm around the man’s neck, slitting his throat with a quick action.

The sniper falls limp against him within a couple of seconds and Axel immediately feels himself starting to come back down from the adrenaline rush. His body feels like it’s on fire, a layer of sweat covering him entirely and his lungs working hard as he pants heavily. Axel drops the dead man next to him with a loud thud, squinting his eyes over the bridge to locate Roxas.

He finds the Prince immediately, recognizing the blond hair from a distance and then Axel swears that he’s never been taken by shock so suddenly until he sees Roxas climbing the edges of the bridge. The redhead is silent for a few seconds, unable to accept the reality of the situation until he sees Roxas standing on the barrier. And then Axel’s eyes widen and his mind finally catches up to him, holding out an arm towards the Prince in a feeble attempt to do anything as the blond jumps.

“ _Roxas!”_


	13. Cognizance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello lovelies! another chapter for ya and after this week i'll be on break for a bit so hopefully I'll be able to kick a couple of chapters out :) as always let me know what you think and we are officially over 100k word count!! pretty wild for me, I never thought I'd be able to write this much for one story.

Axel pants heavily, his eyes wide with shock and fixated on the spot Roxas just stood a few seconds ago. The redhead is still as if he’s just been traumatized, not realizing that up until now he forgot how to even feel such a thing. There hasn’t been much since his early years that causes him to react like the way he just did, his body becoming completely paralyzed from the shock of everything. It isn’t until he sees the men who were charging at Roxas beginning to walk to the space where the blond jumped that Axel reacts, his body moving without thought.

He picks up the loaded crossbow the sniper was holding just moments ago and takes his aim with precision, releasing the arrow with a quick action and watching it fly towards the men. Axel sees it pierce through one of the men’s chest, hearing him let out a strained cry in the distance. The impact causes the man to go still for a second before the redhead sees him drop to his knees and fall forward on his face, his body unresponsive. The other two glance up to Axel in shock, not having realized the sniper had been taken out. Within seconds the two remaining men begin sprinting towards the other side of the bridge.

“I don’t fucking think so,” Axel growls out, already pulling the drawstring taut into place and quickly loading another arrow from the sniper’s quiver. He brings his arms up again to aim, closing one of his eyes as he focuses and takes another shot. It hits another one of the men in the abdomen, causing him to fall to the ground like the first. The redhead keeps his eyes glued to the last man running off, gritting his teeth as he reloads the crossbow quickly. The man is nearing the opposite side of the bridge, but Axel refuses to let him flee any further, exhaling slowly as he takes his final shot.

The arrow catches the man in the leg and he tumbles down from the impact. Axel practically throws the crossbow down on the ground, running towards the gate wheel.

“Chase him down Riku!” Axel yells as loudly as he can, grabbing the metal handles with both hands and pulling it towards him with strong movements. He hopes the knight was alert enough to observe everything that’s just happened so quickly, hearing the gate to the bridge moving with his movements. Moments later he hears the sound of hooves clicking against the stone bridge and sees the knight riding towards the opposite side, his sword drawn in one of his hands as he dashes after the man. Across the bridge, Axel sees him beginning to scramble to his feet and try to make another getaway.

The redhead lets go of the gate wheel as Riku pursues the man, beginning to feel his adrenaline decline and nearly slumps to the ground in a sudden release of tension. He runs a shaky hand through his hair, scanning around him and finding the door to the stairs of the tower. Well, at least he wouldn’t have to try and scale his way down the tower again.

That seems to be the least of his worries right now because even though they are no longer in any immediate danger, Axel’s heart is still beating erratically in his chest. He can practically feel the strained muscle pushing against his rib cage, bringing a hand to rub at the spot hastily. The redhead tries to force himself to calm down, mentally encouraging himself to relax, but then ends up making a sudden sprint towards the door. He gets to the bottom of the stairs quickly, mounting his horse once more and riding out to the space where Roxas jumped. He climbs atop the barrier with ease, ignoring the pitfall that builds in his stomach at such a height. Gods, how the hell did Roxas intentionally do this?

The feeling inside worsens as a result of having absolutely no indication as to where the blond has gone. The water below them is rather calm and there’s no sign of Roxas on either side of the lake where the land meets water. Axel lowers himself back to the bridge, holding a closed fist to his mouth and unintentionally holding his breath.

Did the kid not know how to swim and just fucking drowned? Axel closes his eyes, wanting to scream out curses. He lived on an Island for fucks sake, if he didn’t know how to swim that would be the most absurd thing ever. But, do Princes need to really learn how to swim? It’s not like Axel would have even the slightest clue. Plus from this height, Axel was confident the impact of hitting water alone would have broken bones immediately.

He feels himself spiralling mentally, closing his eyes among the panic and turns sharply when he hears the clicking sound of Riku’s horse drawing back. He sees blood covered on the knight’s sword and can only assume the knight simply cut the man down. It’s not like Axel has a problem with the action considering he just killed three others, but he thought Riku would have at least apprehended the man first to try and interrogate him.

“Did you recognize any of those men?” Riku asks him with a surprising amount of calmness in his tone considering the current turn of events.

Axel simply shakes his head back and forth, glancing at one of the bodies nearby and frowning. They were dressed in commoner clothes and leather armour, yet their weapons seemed to be pretty impressive in contrast. That was odd, but other than that he had no indication of who the men worked for.

The knight exhales quietly. “The last one wouldn’t tell me who he was either.” He muses, sheathing his sword finally and glancing towards the bridge exit.  Axel half-nods in recognition, now understanding why the knight didn’t detain the man. No point in sparing him if he wasn’t going to talk.

“Come on, we have to go find Roxas.” Riku instructs simply, his voice steady as his horse begins walks towards the other side of the bridge.

Axel furrows his eyebrows, staring at the back of the knight's head blankly for a moment before responding. “He just jumped off a fucking bridge.” He states, hearing his voice shake ever-so-slightly. “What do you mean ‘we have to go find him’?” The redhead asks exasperatedly.

Riku halts his horse, turning his head around to look at Axel. The silver-haired teen seems to be sizing him up, raising an eyebrow. “I think you should know by now that Roxas doesn’t do stupid things for no reason.” The knight says.

His sureness takes Axel by surprise for a moment, blinking at the silver-haired teen.

Riku cocks his head to the side with a frown after no response, seemingly putting the pieces together. “You didn’t think he just threw himself off to die, did you?” The knight asks.

Axel scowls, turning away from Riku.  “It sure looked like it from my position.” He grumbles, still unable to get rid of the sinking feeling in his chest. Sure, he knew the kid wasn’t a moron but how was Axel supposed to believe that he survived a jump like that?

“You might take Roxas for a fool, but he’s far from it.” Riku accuses with a sudden hostility in his voice.

Axel clenches his fist. “I don't think that!” The redhead replies without thought, turning back to Riku as he says it. Then after realizing his slip-up, Axel grits his teeth and turns away once again. 

He hears Riku lowering himself, the sounds of his steps clicking against the stone bridge. Axel can't help his curiosity and turns his head enough to see the knight going through Roxas’ bag that he must have dropped. After a few seconds of searching he pauses, looking up to the redhead.

“He took his wind tome,” the knight comments quietly. Axel finds his shoulders tensing, not fully sure as to what that’s supposed to explain considering his lack of knowledge on magic.

Riku continues either way, slinging the bag over his shoulder and starting towards his horse. “He probably used it to fly himself to the land below. We need to find a way to get down there.” He says simply.

Axel is once again taken aback by the fact that the knight is remaining so calm and it finally makes him snap. “Riku, don’t be a fucking idiot. The kid jumped because he didn’t want to get brutally murdered. There’s no way he survived a fall like that!” He exclaims, turning to the knight as he yells it.

His heart is beating rapidly and anger fills every ounce of his being as he speaks, the raw pain of it all making Axel’s skin hot like it’s on fire. He just watched this stupid Islander Prince who up until shortly ago was just that- a stupid Islander Prince, die and he’s not about to give himself false hope by spending hours searching for a body. Axel has seen many bodies in his lifetime, probably too many to be healthy if he was honest, but he knows that if he somehow locates Roxas’ lifeless one it would probably destroy the small amount of humanity still within him. Just thinking about it imprints a deep frown on his face and Axel bites his tongue hard to stop himself from continuing to do so.

Riku is narrowing his gaze at the redhead now, seemingly deciding on what he should say next. To Axel’s surprise, the knight is collected when he speaks. “I’ve known him since he was a child. He wouldn’t just end himself like this; Roxas is a fighter. He was smart enough to recognize staying and fighting would have ended in a worse alternative.” The silver-haired teen explains, his gaze lacking any doubt or uncertainty. “He’s probably badly wounded down there, so we need to go find him _now_.” He finishes, mounting his horse with the Prince's bag slung over his shoulder.

Axel stares at Riku with a tense look for a couple of seconds after the knight is done speaking and then glances down sharply. He clenches and unclenches his jaw a few times, before finally nodding and trusting in the knight’s confidence. “Fine. You want to waste your time saving the other Prince? ” He resigns and begins walking over to his horse.

Once he’s mounted on top of it, he looks at Riku when the knight makes no indication of moving. The silver-haired teen is staring very plainly at him, and his gaze makes Axel feel a little uncomfortable with how Riku seems to see right through him at the moment.

“We’ll find him.” The knight comments simply, kicking his horse into a gallop towards the bridge exit. Axel stares at the back of the silver-haired teen’s head for a moment, annoyed that the kid tried to act like the redhead needed the reassurance. Even if it was entirely true and it did make Axel feel a little better, the fact that it came from Riku makes the redhead glare at him. He clenches his reigns tight in his hands, flexing his muscles with each movement in an automatic anxiousness and keeps replaying the moment Roxas jumped in his mind.

Gods, he hoped the stupid Prince was smarter than he thought.

* * *

Cloud strides down the stairs of the front hall with a quick pace, keeping his eyes glued to the large double doors in front of them. He’s still dressed in his training equipment, having been interrupted during his and Leon’s sparring once again only to have a servant proclaim that his attendance was required at the castle gates.

“How did the information get leaked?” Cloud asks the servant as they near the door.

“We’re not certain Your Grace, but we think it may have been one of the maids.” The servant replies timidly.

“I want her detained until we can question her. Now.” Cloud demands. The servant nods from behind him and begins walking off to retrieve the woman.

Cloud pauses as he stops in front of the large doors, holding out a hand to halt the servant waiting to open it for him. He can feel his heart beating erratically in his chest as the sounds of people yelling from outside carry through the castle faintly. Cloud swallows thickly, wanting to spare a glance towards Leon for assurance but bites the instinct back and finally commands the servant to open the door.

As the man complies, the Prince hears the yelling echo much louder from the outer gardens and his brain starts sending him warning signals. Approaching the turmoil and unrest seems like a bad idea, but Cloud knows that if he doesn’t address this now things will probably escalate into much worse matters later. He steps out onto the platform outside of the castle, staring at the large crowd gathered in front. Standing on the on the steps in front of the platform is a line of other royal guards, Aeleus approaching Cloud first from among them and bowing to the Prince.

“Your Grace, please allow us to handle the people.” The head of the guard requests, his voice deep and respectful. “We can disperse them easily enough.”

The Prince shakes his head. “No, I need to address them myself. Stay by as my protection.” He commands, folding his arms behind his back. Aeleus nods his head once, falling back into line with the guards.

He’s not sure if the sudden confidence inside of him is real or something he’s somehow managed to convince himself to feel, but either way Cloud’s shoulders are squared and low, his posture tall and powerful as he steps forward on the platform, staring out at the large crowd of people. It seems as if their voices grow louder as he approaches. Some of the people start yelling his name as they continue to shout, their voices overlapping one another’s.

“Prince Cloud!” He hears them shouting, their voices angry as he stops at the edge of the platform over the steps.

“Revenge for the Royal Family!” He hears a voice ring out amongst the crowd.

Another one catches Cloud’s attention as they yell, “The Eclipsian usurper murdered our King and Princes!”

The blond can only stare at their angry faces blankly, taken aback by the fact that they didn’t fall silent as he approached them. Aeleus seems to be unimpressed by such disrespect as well, stepping forward and removing his sword. He walks down the steps of the castle, stopping in front of the crowd and grips the blade with both hands, thrusting it deep into the ground with a loud sound. The action appears to work, causing a hush to fall among the crowd as Aeleus steps back into, giving room for Cloud to address the crowd. The blond nods his head in thanks towards the knight, and then swallows thickly as he processes all eyes and ears are on him. He's not as nervous as he thought he would be, clearing his throat quietly before addressing the crowd.

“I know your hearts are hurting with the loss of my brothers and father just as mine is,” Cloud calls out loudly, his voice clear. “I feel your pain because I am experiencing it just as you are.” He echoes, glancing out at the crowd of people. They seem to be responding well to his initial statement, some of them giving him empathetic gazes.

“However we are not a violent nation,” Cloud points out. “We have sought to gain peace and unity between ourselves and Eclipsis for decades.”

Some of the people among the crowd are beginning to frown as he continues, but Cloud doesn’t let it waver him, feeling an authoritative tone take over his voice.

“We do not have any proof that King Xehanort betrayed us, therefore revenge is not an option.” The Prince exclaims.

“They’ve murdered a member of the family in the past Your Grace!” One of the people among the crowd yells in protest. Others begin to yell in agreement as another one pitches in. “The power-hungry people under that nation wouldn’t be scared to do it again!”

“That is enough!” Cloud bellows towards them, his voice hostile at the insolence. “I will not defile the treaty our nations signed ninety-two years ago.” He declares, glaring at the people. “I shall send a message to King Xehanort to question him in the mean time. Now return to your daily routines at once.”

Nobody moves after Cloud finishes speaking, the crowd’s expressions mixed between shock, hurt and anger. Then after a few seconds of silence he hears one of the people in the back yell.

“You are a coward, Prince Cloud!” A man shouts.

“The Prince would sacrifice his own family for peace with a country full of monsters!” Another one adds.

“What!?” Cloud responds instinctually, “No-“

But his voice is cut off with the anger of the crowd building once again. Cloud swallows thickly at their commotion, some of them pumping their fists around angrily. He hears the sounds of his guards drawing their blades in warning at the crowd’s reaction. The response seems to make the people angrier though and before the Prince has time to react a stone is hurling towards him, catching Cloud’s cheek with a rough crack. He flinches with a hiss, bringing his hand to his face and noticing blood when he looks at his hand.

The next thing the Prince knows his guards are charging towards the people, some of them parting through the crowd to locate the person who threw the stone while the others stand in front of him protectively, holding their shields to create a barrier in case more stones are thrown. This doesn’t seem to deter the crowd from continuing to stay riled up, shouting about the injustices against the other Princes and their King. Then Cloud hears the clinking sounds of rocks being thrown at the guard’s shields, ringing off of the metal in loud noises.

“Coward!” He hears people yelling overtop of each other.

“Your Grace!” Leon calls to him over the commotion. The man’s voice cuts through everything going on around them and Cloud looks to him with the last of his confidence leaving his body. The blond feels his expression become more vulnerable, his eyes full of shock and uncertainty towards the knight. “Come on, we need to go back to the castle!” The brunet yells.

Though Cloud wants to protest, he knows there isn’t much he could do anymore right this moment in order to quell the crowd.

“You are not worthy of inheriting the throne!” He hears among the crowd and it causes Cloud to jerk his head around again. He’s unable to see much beyond the wall of shields guarding him from the people, but still stares at the general direction for another second before turning around once more to follow back into the castle. As he retreats, he can hear the sounds of the crowd continuing to call him a cowardly prince echoing even as the doors to the castle close behind him.

Cloud find himself taking deep breaths with the clicking of the doors seeming to bring him back to reality again. There are a few servants standing by the door, staring at him with shock and not saying anything. He wonders if they were observing the scene the entire time. The Prince touches a hand to his cheek and winces at the sharp pain, looking down to see more blood on his hand. Cloud grits his teeth, unimpressed that he wasn’t sharp enough to dodge the rock.

“Perhaps you should see the Maester.” Leon offers him, his voice stern.

Cloud still seems to be in a state of shock, nodding and beginning to make his way to Merlin’s examination room without a word. Leon trails behind him quietly, the sound of the man’s armour clinking with each step echoing around them. Neither one of them say a word to each other, Cloud having no desire to discuss what just happened. He thinks Leon is able to sense this, to which he is thankful as he enters Merlin’s quarters.

The man looks up in surprise as Cloud stands in the doorway, pausing in his actions in front of a few test tubes and sets a bottle down. “Your Grace, what happened?” He asks in concern, his eyebrows furrowing at the blond’s cheek.

“I would not care to discuss it. Just have a look over the wound quickly.” He orders icily.

The older man nods without a word, standing up and putting his glasses on. He turns to a cabinet and removes a cleaning bandage, also grabbing a small bottle. Merlin saturates the bandage with the solution and approaches Cloud. He uses his free hand to turn the Prince’s cheek to the side and begins dabbing the wound presumably to clean it. The medicine on the bandage makes Cloud’s skin burn and he holds back a hiss of pain, instead clenching his jaw even though the feeling hurts his cheek even more.

“This is disinfecting the wound.” Merlin echoes to him, sensing the Prince’s discomfort. When he’s done cleaning it, the older man turns back towards another cabinet and begins rustling through it. “Now, I just need to bandage you up and you may go on your way-“

“This is fine, Merlin. Thank you,” the blond cuts in. He turns on his heel without another words and exits the room. This time Cloud doesn’t hear the steps of Leon following immediately, but he continues to retreat down the hallway anyway. After a few seconds the sound of the knight running to catch up is heard and Cloud says nothing as he begins walking towards the west wing.

Leon doesn’t question him, the brunet following behind silently as they make their way through the castle. When the two approach the door outside of the councillor’s room, Leon falls back.

Cloud half-turns towards the knight, waving him in and opens the door. The room is unoccupied to his satisfaction and the blond immediately makes his way to the carafe sitting in the middle of the table. He pours himself a hefty glass of wine, taking a large gulp and wincing a bit as he sets the cup down harshly. The blond hears Leon close the door behind him and the knight approaches, standing a few feet away from Cloud in silence.

“It would have looked bad if I brought you to my room at this time of day,” Cloud says out of the blue. He doesn’t really know why he just tried to justify himself, but he sees Leon nod out of the corner of his eye.

“You Grace?” He asks curiously.

Cloud sighs, picking up his cup and walking to stand in front of a window. He stares out at the ocean for a moment, the beautiful sunny day doing nothing to ease his mood.

“That wasn’t what I wanted to happen.” The blond says, still facing the window as he speaks.

“It could have been worse.” Leon offers quietly. Cloud almost rolls his eyes, turning around again and taking a seat at the table. He takes another gulp of his wine, rubbing a hand along his forehead anxiously.

“Why didn’t they listen to me?” He asks quietly, his voice carrying a hint of uncertainty.

Leon is silent for a moment before he responds. “It’s because they’re upset. They want their King avenged and their Princes back.”

Cloud slumps back in his chair. “Yes I know _that._ ” He huffs out, staring at the ceiling. “I want that too.” He adds weakly.

After no response from Leon, the Prince glances to the brunet and sees his eyes looking doubtful before the knight moves his gaze to the side. Then Cloud straightens up and his eyes sharpen at the man.

“What is it?” Cloud asks.

The brunet shakes his head with his eyes closed for a moment. “Cloud, it’s not my place to say.”

“I’m _ordering_ it to be your place to say,” he responds immediately.

Leon just sighs, then looks Cloud in the eye once again and speaks without hesitation. “Out there, it didn’t seem that’s what you wanted.”

The Prince swallows thickly, his eyes trained on Leon. “What?” He questions, though he heard the knight speak perfectly fine.

“Why did you feel the need to continue this lie? You know that Xehanort is responsible for Sora and Roxas going missing. Surely that’s enough grounds to break the treaty.” Leon justifies, not intimidated by Cloud’s growing frown on his face.

“You would have me instigate a war? Me, a Prince not even crowned King yet, who has practically no knowledge of the land or its armies, or war tactics for that matter.” The blond says skeptically.

“I would have expected you to want to help your brothers. Your father is dead Cloud,” the knight emphasizes. “ _You_ are the one who has control now and you have the ability to do something.”

Leon pauses, still not breaking eye contact as he finishes. “But you’re choosing not to.” He finishes.

Cloud has to give his knight some credit; Leon has never spoken in such an upfront manner towards him before, especially with such opposition to something he’s done or said. Despite that, Cloud feels his blood start to boil at such an accusation. It makes him think of the way Roxas spoke towards their father the day he found out Sora went missing. Cloud hates the way he pictures himself as his father in this situation, gritting his teeth and glaring at Leon.

“Leave at once.” He orders icily.

The knight holds Cloud’s gaze for another few seconds and the blond thinks he might protest but Leon, ever the obedient one, simply gazes down as he stands up and starts walking towards the door.

As it closes behind the knight, Cloud bites his lip so hard it draws blood and continues to drink from his chalice, feeling the liquid moving down his throat and into his stomach with a warm feeling. When he’s finished, he slams his cup down on the table hard and lets out a frustrated yell, never having felt so isolated or unsure in his life before.

* * *

Roxas groans lowly as he rolls his stomach and pushes himself to rest his knees on the ground, breathing shallowly and feeling the world around him spin. After taking the jump from the bridge, he managed to use a wind spell to propel himself rather gracelessly towards the land on the side on the lake that was closest to the direction they were travelling. As the Prince called out his spell mid-fall, he shouted in surprise when the gust of wind shot his body towards the forest nearby harshly. He was unable to do much to stop himself from hitting various branches, grunting and letting out cries of pain as they scratched his cheek, knocked his arms and slammed against his leg. The Prince also dropped his tome as he was going down, not even noticing at first. Eventually he hit the ground rather hard and tumbled a few times, his weak body doing little to lessen the impact. He let out a pained cry when his wounded arm pressed into the ground, the arrow still stuck in his arm.

The Prince stares at the ground in a daze, he tries not to focus on the pain of everything. Grunting, Roxas forces himself to stand even though his legs tremble, nearly losing his balance as he steadies himself. Gods, it could have been a result of hitting his head, the blood loss, the shock of everything or a combination of it all, but Roxas knows that he isn't in good shape like this by himself. He quickly decides that he has to begin making his way back up to the bridge to find his way back.

Unfortunately the blond is beyond weak, the last of his adrenaline leaving his body and making Roxas fall to his knees within a couple of minutes of walking. He lets out a shaky groan in protest, becoming aware of how sweaty his skin is. Every second that passes feels like it’s getting hotter and hotter.

The Prince closes his eyes for a moment before sighing quietly and placing a hand to the wound on his arm gently to check on the bleeding. The fresh dark red liquid that stains his skin in a thick coating when he pulls his hand back makes him swallow thickly. If only he had thought to bring a potion with him before he jumped…

Roxas forces himself crawl towards a tree with some bushes around it, deciding it’s the best option he has if he wants to remain at least a little hidden, seeing as he can barely stand at this point. When he’s finally situated himself against the tree trunk he exhales quietly, blinking at the quiet forest around him.

It’s strange, the blond thinks to himself as his body starts shutting down without any control. This forest and the one they travelled through in Oathkeeper’s River were so different; the trees in this one are short and fluffy compared to the tall, tower-like ones in the previous forest. The blond blinks owlishly at the grounds covered in various shrubs and bushes, compared to the barren grounds in the other one.  How many different kinds of forests could there even be? He’d have to ask Axel about that later…

Axel… and Riku. He hoped that they could find him soon enough. Roxas doesn’t know if he’d be able to survive by himself out here for long. With that looming thought on his mind Roxas feels the corners of his vision going black and falls unconscious, slumping against the tree.

* * *

Axel finds his patience wearing thin as the search for Roxas continues. They were able to find a path that lead down to the lake after some time, but it set them quite a distance away from the bridge and Roxas could have been anywhere at this point if he managed to escape. Axel is aware of the way his jaw tenses when the word _if_ crosses his mind. _If_ he didn’t die on his way down, _if_ he didn’t die from blood loss.  

“Pay attention you goat, you’re spacing out again.” Riku orders. Axel looks up sharply, glaring at the silver-haired teen heatedly. It was the third time the knight had caught him lost in his thoughts, unable to convince himself that the blond was somehow out here and okay. Call him a pessimist, but Axel learned pretty quickly in life that nothing was certain and wishful thinking never got you anywhere.

“I was just thinking this is one hell of a search and the sun is going to set in about four hours. There’s also a forest ahead there and a whole area down past the edge of the lake.” Axel says, pointing to the areas he’s describing. “There’s no way we’ll have enough time to search both areas completely before night time.” He explains.

Riku stares at him thoughtfully for a moment. “Then we split up. I’ll take the lakeside; you take the forest.” He proposes.

Axel can’t help but feel a little skeptical in his suggestion, raising an eyebrow at the knight. “You’re feeling pretty trusting of me today.”

“Look I think it’s pretty clear how much I dislike you,” Riku contradicts, his mouth settling into a frown before he continues. “But I know that if we split up our chances of finding him will be better.” He explains. “And I know you want to find him too.”

Axel’s expression changes into a defensive one, glaring at the knight. “Don’t act like you know what I want.” He accuses.

“Oh shut your loud, lying mouth.” Riku barks back with a newfound attitude. “You and Roxas a pair of idiots, I swear by the Gods.” He mutters to himself quietly, but Axel hears it anyway and he swallows thickly, not liking the undertones of the silver-haired teen’s words.

Riku doesn’t give him a chance to respond, reaching into Roxas’ bag and removing one of their potions. He tosses it lightly to the redhead and Axel catches it with ease, glancing down at the bottle.

“Start searching the forest and if you find him, give that to him. We’ll rendezvous back here in two hours.” The knight calls to Axel, beginning to gallop alongside the edge of the lake. The redhead says nothing further, gripping the potion bottle tightly and putting it in one of his pockets, commanding his horse to gallops towards the forest to begin his search for Roxas.

* * *

Leon isn’t sure how long it’s been since he’s left the councillor’s room, but he’s been standing outside of the closed door for some time now, patiently waiting for Cloud to return. Leon isn’t stupid; when Cloud told him to leave, the brunet was well aware that the Prince did not mean he wanted Leon to stand outside the door like a loyal dog and wait until he came back. However, Leon isn’t about to let the Prince’s anger towards him stop the knight from fulfilling his duty as his personal knight.

Admittedly, part of the reason he did decide to stay outside of the door was because of the fact that Cloud was upset with him. Leon didn’t necessarily feel bad that he told the truth because it was what the blond had asked of him, but the knight was disconcerted because Cloud was very clearly angry with him. He didn’t mean to offend the Prince with his words, but perhaps he was too harsh in the way he worded them. One of the maids in the castle, a young girl named Yuffie, often told him that he would offend a woman of interest with his attitude.

Leon would bite back the instinct to tell the girl to know her place and keep her mouth shut. One time he simply turned around and purposely walked in the opposite direction without a word. Yuffie laughed and told him he’d understand one day when he showed actual feelings towards another human. And while the maid most definitely wouldn’t have expected that Leon would slowly begin develop feelings for the eldest Prince of Destiny Islands, she unfortunately was right in some sense. Not that Leon would ever tell her that though.

To the knight’s dismay, this eventual coming-together of a realization does not do much in helping Leon decide what to do next. He’s staring at the door with Cloud behind it, wondering what the blond has been doing for all of this time. The knight hopes he hasn’t emptied the carafe, considering how drunk the blond was the night before.

Leon still isn’t quite sure how the turn of events yesterday unfolded like it did; it was like being in Cloud’s room so late at night with the various candles lit around them created a charged ambiance in the air on its own. After seeing Cloud just days earlier standing nude in front of Leon like he was showing off a wonderful prize Leon could only ever admire from afar, the brunet was a little on edge to begin with. He didn’t expect Cloud to open as much as he did to the knight either, but Leon simply wrote it off as the blond being drunk.

That was also the explanation Leon convinced himself to believe that Cloud’s and his actions led to the way they did the previous night. He’s thankful that even though every kiss he shared with the Prince lit a fire within him, the knight had enough rationality left within to stop before anything went too far. Leon doesn’t know if Cloud was just having cold feet with the wedding approaching so soon or if this was just a drunken mistake, but either way the knight wasn’t able to pursue anything further than shared kisses. Besides the fact that it didn’t feel right considering Cloud’s level of intoxication, Leon knows that no matter what the Prince’s intentions were he would come to regret them if they indeed went all the way.

Cloud is already having enough of a hard time dealing with his upcoming wedding, brother’s disappearance and his father’s sudden death, the last thing Leon wants to do is add to that stress by upsetting him or ruining his engagement. He knows his duty to serve comes above all and Cloud’s does even more so. There was no reason either of them should have engaged in the way they did last night; Leon would have been arrested and executed without question had they been found.

With that thought in mind Leon feels himself frowning. He didn’t know what might have happened to Cloud, but it wouldn’t be anything much better than himself and that alone makes Leon tense up. His eyes are still trained on the door, as if he can somehow see through it and pictures Cloud sitting with his head in his hands like he was last night. The brunet wants to walk in, place a hand on his shoulder and comfort him again, but finds himself unable to give into his wants.

With a quiet sigh in defeat, Leon closes his eyes and turns around to walk down the hall towards the armoury.

* * *

Axel is unable to control the slow but continuous increase of anxiety that builds inside of him the more that time passes in his search for Roxas, only to have no luck locating him. He knows that there’s the possibility that Riku has already found the blond and everything is fine, but unable to believe in such a fairy tale kind of miracle, Axel starts clenching and unclenching his reigns without thought like he was earlier. Every time he notices himself doing it he wants to curse, hating the fact that he’s getting so worked up over the situation.

He’s been calling Roxas’ name in the empty forest loudly, hearing his voice echo into the distance. He doesn’t get any kind of acknowledgement back, and his throat is starting to become dry and scratchy from all of the yelling. It doesn’t do much to hinder him from continuing though, unable to give a sliver of care towards himself at the moment. It’s something Axel has either completely forgotten to feel or something new he’s experiencing for the first time, but the redhead has never felt such a selfless sensation.

“God _dammit_ Roxas,” Axel finally cracks after some more time, forcing his horse to stop in its tracks. His voice is strained as he says it, his frustration peaking. “Where are you!?” He yells loudly, gritting his teeth and glancing all around him.

No response is given to Axel and after a few seconds his shoulders slump and he lowers his gaze to the ground. The redhead presses his heels into the steed, commanding it to start walking again and Axel starts yelling the blond’s name once more across the forest. In the next few moments there’s a rustling of bushes that catches Axel’s attention from behind and he reacts quickly, turning around and laying a hand atop the knife on his belt. Eyes darting around the immediate surrounding area, Axel finds nothing out of the ordinary and then sighs. He’s about to turn around again when his eyes catch something close by some bushes.

Axel narrows his eyes, trying to focus on what it is and nearly freezes on the spot when he registers that it’s Roxas’ wind tome. He leaps off of his horse, running towards it and beginning to call out the Prince’s name like a mantra. He picks the tome up and start glancing around him, not seeing Roxas anywhere and beginning to walk around the area. His eyes dart all over the place as he investigates, feeling the sliver of hope within him start to dissipate again as if it’s being dragged away by the cruel hands of reality.

Then as Axel turns around, he catches sight of Roxas’ unresponsive body lying against a tree among some bushes and drops the wind tome. The arrow is still stuck in the blond’s arm and his clothes are dirty and well saturated with dark blood. It’s even trailed onto his hand a bit. There’s a trail of dried blood along the side of the Prince’s head as well, probably a result of his fall from the horse.

Axel’s eyes widen at the sight and his body starts moving on its own, approaching Roxas quickly and dropping to his knees. He stares at the blond for a long time, unable to initially give much of a reaction. Roxas looks so peaceful despite his bad wound, his face relaxed and eyes closed just like he’s having an afternoon nap. It’s weird to think and he knows it, but Axel swears it’s truer the longer he stares at the blond.

Eventually Axel raises a shaky arm, pressing two of his fingers against the blond’s neck and closing his eyes in anticipation. It’s slow and light-sounding, but the pulse is there and Axel nearly shouts in relief, pulling his hand back to press a fist against his mouth as he attempts to collect himself. It takes him a few moments and a couple of unsteady breaths, but eventually Axel is able to at least somewhat calm down.

“Roxas…” The redhead calls to him, unable to prevent the shakiness in it. He shuffles himself closer to the blond, who has never looked so frail before until this moment. Axel knows that the Prince is short in comparison to himself, but the way he carries himself seemed to always overlook that fact. He’s used to seeing Roxas looking like he could take on the world, but right now he looks so small and weak. Like his mortality is presenting itself to Axel as he calls the blond’s name again with a shaky plea.

Finally Roxas gives an indicative response, the Prince’s head starting to move to the side lightly and Axel hears a soft groan from the blond. It causes Axel to shout Roxas’ name again in anticipation and finally the Prince opens his eyes halfway, taking a few seconds to focus on the redhead.

“Axel?” Roxas asks so quietly his voice is just above a whisper.

The redhead clenches his jaw so tightly it starts to cramp, then something instinctual takes over and Axel leans forward, pressing their foreheads together and closing his eyes at the overwhelming feeling of everything.

“You stupid little brat,” he hears himself say before pressing a kiss again the blond’s lips. He pulls away a few seconds later only to decide it’s not enough and kisses the Prince once again, their lips brushing against each other’s lightly. It’s like he’s overrun with so many things crossing his mind at the moment, but feeling Roxas’ lips move against his own helps ground him.

When he pulls away a second time, Roxas stares up at him with a dazed expression before his eyebrows furrow ever-so-slightly. “’M not a brat,” he murmurs quietly, to which Axel can only let out a small breath of amusement, his lips quirking up on one side.

He leans his forehead back to the Prince’s, taking breaths to try and steady his racing heart. “Yes you are,” Axel protests. “I thought you tried to off yourself.” He gets out weakly, nearly choking up at the words as they leave his mouth.

“Do you take me for a fool?” The blond responds quietly, a bit of banter in his voice.

Axel actually laughs a little bit this time, opening his eyes to stare at the blond. “Yes I do. You jumped off a fucking _bridge_.” He reiterates.

Roxas gives the redhead a blank stare. “You sound scared.” He comments quietly, seemingly still a little out of it.

Axel lowers his head in defeat, bringing a hand to cover his eyes. “Yea Roxas, I am- I was.” He corrects in frustration. Then he feels the blond wrapping his hand around Axel’s wrist loosely, pulling his own hand away from his face. The Prince stares at him for a few seconds, his ocean-like eyes catching Axel in an undertow that steals his breath before the Prince leans forward, pressing his lips against the redheads into another soft kiss. For a moment it makes Axel completely forget about the world around them until Roxas leans back and the redhead sees the weariness in his eyes.

“Alright, just hang on a second here,” the redhead says, reaching into his pocket to retrieve the potion Riku gave him earlier. He opens the bottle, raising it in front of the Prince’s lips. Roxas leans his head back as he drinks the liquid slowly, closing his eyes as he gulps it down. After the bottle is finished Axel brings his hand down and stares at the arrow in his arm with a pointed look.

“We need to get that out of you.” The redhead comments.

Roxas opens his eyes and looks to the wound, nodding absentmindedly. “I know. I would have lost too much blood if I took it out earlier.” He says.

His knowledge actually surprises Axel, the redhead nodding along. “Right. We need something to wrap it though…” He trails off. He settles on the blond’s cloak that is still tied to his shoulders, then starts working at unlacing it. Roxas doesn’t make any indication of protest, simply closing his eyes again and leaning his head back against the tree.

“Don’t you go passing out on me again,” Axel murmurs as the last of the strings are untied. He places an arm on the blond’s shoulder to press him forward enough so he can pull the cloak off.

Roxas opens his eyes halfway and stares off into the distance. “I’m trying.” He responds quietly. His tone makes Axel’s eyes dart up to stare at the Prince for a moment before swallowing thickly and placing the cloak next to him.

“Tell me a story,” the redhead requests, removing his knife to start cutting the sleeve of Roxas’ bloody shirt. He's careful not to touch the wound or move the blond’s arm as he does it, knowing that this isn’t going to be a painless removal.

“About what?” Roxas asks him, watching the redhead work. He keeps his eyes away from the wound as Axel removes the cut off piece of clothing. With a better view of the wound, the redhead can see how deep the arrow head is lodged into Roxas’ arm. The bleeding has stopped but there’s a lot of blood dried and partially coagulated in the wound.

He keeps his expression passive even though Axel wants to wince at the wound, surprised with how relaxed Roxas is. It could be a result of him still being out of it, but either way Axel is impressed with his pain tolerance.

“I don’t know, anything.” Axel says, beginning to cut a strip from the blond’s cloak. “Tell me about Sora.” He murmurs, knowing how deeply rooted the Prince and his twin are connected.

It’s as if Roxas’ eyes begin to reflect that, becoming a bit more focused and alert. “Okay, uh,” he starts, taking a moment to think. “Well, one time he found this baby bird injured out in one of the gardens as a child.”

Axel nods as he finishes cutting the cloak, holding the makeshift bandages in his hand as Roxas continues. “He ended up sneaking it into the castle and I still don’t know how he managed to get the thing to stay quiet the entire time. But he did.” The bond muses.

Axel meets the Prince’s eyes, licking his lips. “This is going to hurt,” he interrupts, not wanting to lie to the blond. “But I’m going to do it quick and wrap it right away.”

Roxas nods his head slightly, his lips pressed into a tight line. The redhead encourages him to keep telling his story, wanting the Prince to at least be slightly distracted from the matter at hand.

“He hid the bird in his room for a couple of days, feeding it, checking on it’s- _Ah!_ ” Roxas stops, letting out a loud cry of pain as Axel pulls the arrow out in a clean movement. He hears the blond panting heavily, immediately beginning to wrap the wound. There’s not a lot of fresh blood coming from the wound which is a relief, Axel thinking it has something to do with the potion. He didn’t know anything about the concoctions, but seeing the way the magic worked fast with Riku and even himself on the ship when he got sick was astounding to say that least.

“Keep talking,” Axel commands, still dressing the wound even though his hands are shaking a bit. “Checking on it’s wings?” He offers, trying to steer the conversation back to the story.

“Y-yea.” Roxas states, pausing a moment. “Only Riku and I knew about it and we made sure it was kept a secret from everyone.” He explains shakily, still breathing heavily.

“He eventually nursed it back to health and set it free, then cried five minutes later after it was gone.” The blond adds.

Axel can’t help giving a small smirk at the last part. So, Sora was obviously the sensitive one.

“Sounds like a caring kid.” The redhead comments, tying off the bandages in place.

Roxas nods, closing his eyes again as he finally steadies his breath. “Too caring. I’ve never met another like him.” The blond says.

Axel flicks his gaze to the ground, ignoring the guilt that grows from within him at the Prince’s words. Perhaps asking about Sora wasn’t the wisest idea from his point of view, because it made him much more than a target to be kidnapped. Not that Axel has truly been in full agreeance with the plan to begin with, but at the time he was in foreign land under the order of his King and was left without much of a choice. He sheathes his knife to his belt once more and looks to Roxas again, seeing the Prince has been staring at him blankly.

“Can you stand?” Axel asks, wanting to let the conversation go and begin travelling to the area where Riku said they would rendezvous.

Roxas shakes his head back and forth, so the redhead maneuvers himself around the blond gently, looping an arm under his knees and the other around the Prince’s back. The blond says nothing as Axel lifts him, beginning to walk towards where he left his horse. He feels the spikes of Roxas’ hair brush under his chin as the blond rests his head against Axel lightly.

“You alright?” The redhead asks quietly, unable to get a good view of the Prince.

Roxas lets out a mumbled noise. “Tired, I’m okay though. Potions working.” He hums out.

Axel nods, approaching his horse and stopping in front of it. “Okay,” he responds quietly, raising the blond to sit him on the side of the horse. The redhead holds a hand to Roxas’ uninjured arm to steady him from a moment, meeting the Prince’s weary eyes.

“Told you left to your own devices you’d jump off a bridge.” Axel teases softly, not wanting to remove his hand from the Prince.

Roxas purses his lips and glares half-heartedly at the redhead. “Shut up and take me back to Riku.” He orders, a bit of attitude present in his voice.

Axel simply smirks, pulling back for a moment to raise himself on the horse. His response makes the redhead feel more secure in the fact that Roxas is surprisingly okay for the most part, even if he did look like he was going to pass out at any given minute. The sun is still a couple of hours from setting, so if they find Riku quickly they should be able to find somewhere to stay for the night.

With that thought in mind, Axel commands his horse to jog lightly, not wanting to disturb Roxas too much as they start to ride. The redhead feels the blond leaning against his back as they travel and Axel lets out a long exhale, finally feeling like all of the anxiety has left his body.

The acknowledgement of it makes him narrow his eyes into the distance.


	14. Felicity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello wonderful readers, I hope you're all doing well. I think you'll really enjoy this next chapter, and I think with that way things are progressing the story will be finished in another 3-5 chapters. I'm going to be working on it a lot in the next week, so I'm excited to be getting the ending fleshed out.
> 
> (also, anyone watching game of thrones? Yesterdays episode was insaaaaane)

Cloud snaps his head around as a steady knocking comes from the other side of the door to the hallway. He stares at the door for a minute in thought, wondering if he should answer or simply order the person to go away. At the moment he doesn’t give a single care as to who could be on the other side unless it was miraculously his brothers, frowning at such a delusional fantasy with a lump in his throat. After closing his eyes and taking a breath, he turns back around to face the window overlooking the night and ocean and calls out softly for the person to enter.

There’s a silence before the door opens slowly and he hears Aerith’s sweet voice. “Ah, Your Grace. Pardon me, I hope I’m not interrupting you.”

Cloud simply stares blankly outside, his back still to the brunette. “You aren’t.” He offers quietly.

The Prince hears something being placed on the large table behind him and half-turns to see Aerith setting a tray of food down on top of it. He scans over the fruits and bread, then flicks his gaze up to the girl’s gentle eyes. She always looks so caring and inviting.

“I brought you something to eat.” She says, gesturing to the tray and then stepping back and folding her hands in front of her.

Cloud swallows thickly, glancing to the side. “You didn’t have to do such a thing my lady. That’s what the maids are for.” He points out, trying to ignore the guilt beginning to come back to him.

Aerith lets out a small giggle, bringing a hand to her mouth. “Oh come now. It’s not such a hard thing as to carry a tray of food.” She insists.

The side of the blond’s mouth quirks up slightly and he meets her gaze for a moment before dropping it to the ground. She stares back with a hopeful look, but her expression falls at the sight of the Prince and she lets out a small breath, running her hand along the skirt of her cream coloured dress.

“Pardon me then, I’m sure you have lots to do. I will take my leave.” She says, giving him a forced smile and walking back towards the door. Cloud stares at her as she retreats, watching her delicate fingers wrap around the door handle.

“Aerith,” he calls to her. The brunette pauses, staring at the door for a moment before turning to look at him.

“Yes, Your Grace?” She asks.

The Prince glances away for another few seconds before looking at her. “You heard of what happened earlier?” He asks.

“I did.” She replies quietly, her expression taking a somber appearance.

Cloud is silent, running a hand over his wounded cheek lightly and frowning. Then he sees the brunette lower her hand from the door and turn to the Prince fully.

“Perhaps it’s not a lady’s place to say, but I think you responded in the best way possible, Your Grace.” Aerith says to him.

The Prince’s attention is on the brunette fully. “You did?” He asks unsurely.

She nods, closing her eyes as she does it. “There’s been so much anguish over the past week, with the Princes and the King…” She trails off, gulping as she says it. “The last thing we need is an unprovoked war.”

It’s a relief to hear someone agree with him. “So…you don’t think…?” Cloud asks, hoping she understands what he is alluding to.

Aerith shakes her head and folds her hand in front of her again. “I don’t, Your Grace. If you don’t believe King Xehanort had anything to do with this, then I trust your word.” She answers, giving him a small smile.

It’s hard for Cloud look at her and offer a tight smile back, attempting to speak through the lump in his throat. “I don’t.” He reiterates quietly.

She nods to him. “Then the people will come to see it that way shortly. Give it time, everyone is sorrowful. Sorrow breeds hate rather quickly.” The brunette explains.

Cloud can only bring himself to nod before muttering a quick thank-you for the food. Aerith excuses herself politely once more, turning around to exit the room quietly. After she’s gone. Cloud walks over to the tray of food and picks up a piece of fruit to eat. He stares at one of the tapestries on the wall blankly as his thoughts roam. As he thinks on Aerith’s words and the conversation with Leon, Cloud finds himself becoming overwhelmed and starts pacing back and forth in the room.

Beginning to realize the truth of Leon’s words, the blond clenches his free hand at his side and stops in his tracks. Another opportunity for the Prince to have told someone else the truth of the matter and he lied once again. Cloud grimaces as he swallows the fruit, picking up another piece and chewing on it harshly. Why did he do it again? Telling Aerith should have been easy- she was to be his wife shortly, he should feel confident enough to open up to her.

And yet, Cloud didn’t. Perhaps it was because the blond didn’t truly feel like he could trust her, or perhaps it was because the Prince was scared that if he opened up to her about one thing, he would accidently tell the truth of his wrongdoings. Either way he couldn’t admit to himself the truth to her.

After a couple minutes of forcing himself to swallow down some food, Cloud grunts in frustration and starts towards the door. He opens it with a rough movement, blinking in surprise when he sees Leon standing a few feet away on the other side. The knight gives him an equally surprised expression and neither of them say anything for a moment.

Cloud is the first to break eye contact, looking to the side. “Have you been standing here this whole time?” He murmurs. It had been several hours since the Prince ordered him to leave.

He sees the knight shift his weight in his peripheral. “No, Your Grace. I left earlier and came back when Aerith found me. She asked me to escort her to you.” He explains.

Cloud lips purse tightly and he nods in understanding. “I see.”

The Prince hears Leon release a quiet breath after a moment of silence and shifts his gaze upon the knight again. “Cloud,” he begins, saying the blond’s name softly. The way he says it makes the Prince gulp. “I meant no disrespect in what I said earlier-“

“No.” Cloud interrupts, his gaze falling to the ground again. He resists the urge to take a step closer to Leon, instead using the second to catch himself. When he looks up to the knight’s confused gaze, the Prince continues. “It took courage to say what you did. If I am to be an adequate King, I need to be able to listen to opposing views objectively and not get upset.” He explains quietly.

Leon stares at Cloud with an unmoving gaze and the Prince swears for a second he gets a memory back to last night, standing close to the knight in his bedroom. Did Leon stare at him like that just before things started getting heated between them? The Prince isn’t sure, but the way something shoots like a bolt of electricity up his spine makes him feel much more certain about it.

“You’ll be more than an adequate King. You’ll be the best one to ever rule this kingdom.” Leon says with conviction.

Cloud can’t help it this time, taking a step closer towards the knight, but he pauses when he sees Leon tense slightly and look down apprehensively.

“Promise me something,” the blond nearly whispers. His words cause Leon’s eyes to flick up to meet his own in a silent indication to continue.

“You will always be honest with me when I’m not making the right decision.” He requests.

Leon stares back at him and with each second that passes Cloud becomes more and more confident in knowing this is how the knight was staring at him the previous evening. He swallows thickly, feeling his heartbeat pick up and raises his hand slowly. Before it meets his skin the knight grabs his wrist gently, halting his actions and staring at him with a hard expression.

“You’re doing it right now,” the knight says to him lowly, even though Cloud is sure that Leon is feeling something more in his expression despite the words.

“Leon…” The Prince murmurs in a quiet plea, his eyes trailing to the man’s lips. It’s like he can picture them kissing each other last night, remembering how the knight’s hands held him tightly as they kissed and how Cloud ran his hands through Leon’s hair.

The knight looks away for a moment, dropping their hands gently. The blond simply stares at him patiently, waiting for a response.

“This isn’t a good idea.” Leon insists, still not looking at the Prince anymore.

It causes Cloud to frown a bit, feeling a boldness within him grow. “And last night was?” He retorts.

That seems to catch the knight’s attention, Leon’s surprised expression meeting the Prince’s agitated one. The brunet catches himself quickly though, tensing his jaw.

“No, it wasn’t.” Leon replies tightly, almost like he’s gritting the words out.

It doesn’t deter Cloud though, narrowing his eyes at the knight. “So why did you let it happen? Surely you could have pushed me off, I was rather intoxicated.” He accuses with an edge to his tone.

“Cloud-“ Leon’s frustrated voice warns him. The Prince would be lying if he said the knight’s tone didn’t bring about a sliver of excitement inside of him.

But the knight closes his eyes for a moment, then stares at Cloud. “I don’t know what you’re looking to accomplish right now.”

The Prince cocks his head to the side, his eyes sharpening. So, he was going to fight this tooth and nail?

“You’re prideful.” The Prince comments with his chin raised.

Then, Leon rolls his eyes and lets out a small scoff. “That’s rich,” he murmurs quietly. The knight’s response causes Cloud to blink at him in surprise for a moment and Leon must have then only noticed the slip up when he matches the blond with a mirrored blank stare.

Before he can even attempt to apologize Cloud, the Prince lets out a breath of amusement. “You and I both.” He amends, looking to the brunet.

Leon composes himself quickly, nodding once. His gaze becomes unsure again when Cloud raises a hand to brush away some of the brunet’s hair from his face.

“Cloud, if anyone ever found out-“ he starts.

“Why would anyone find out?” The blond interrupts, his hand pausing in the man’s hair. He’s not sure how he’s allowing his words to flow without much thought, but follows the instinct.

Leon is staring at him with his jaw still firm, shaking his head back and forth with small movements. “You asked me to be honest with you and I’m doing just that. It’s not a good idea.” The knight reiterates.

“But I don’t think you are being honest,” Cloud quips back immediately. He sees the way Leon blinks at him in surprise and continues. “Not fully, at least.”

Leon closes his eyes and lets out a tight breath, opening them once more to stare at the blond. “Cloud, if you’ll excuse me-“ he starts, taking a step back.

The Prince scowls at the brunet. “I will not.” He counters.

The knight gives him an unimpressed expression despite obeying the command and staying in place. Then the two of them simply stand in front of the doorway a few feet apart, staring at each other like they were in some kind of a stand off. Cloud is well aware of the fact that he is being incredibly petty at the moment, but similarly he doesn’t even care that much to worry about it. Finally, Leon steps close to the blond once again with a rigid expression and leans close to him.

“And you think _I’m_ prideful?” the knight says quietly as he tilts his head to the side and presses his lips against Cloud’s, taking the Prince off guard for a moment before he kisses the man back and pulls him inside of the council room, shutting the door roughly behind them.

* * *

Roxas falls in and out of sleep as he leans against Axel’s back atop the horse, his body still feeling exhausted though the pain in his arm has substantially improved. He can already tell it’s going to be sore in the morning, but without the potion things would have been much worse at the moment so he is content with it. The blond thinks at one point they stop and Axel is speaking to someone, but he sleeps through it regardless and is only awakened until his name is called a few times, stirring him.

He blinks a couple times as he becomes conscious, noticing that the sun has long set and the moon is high in the sky. Then Roxas looks down and sees Riku standing next to his horse, holding an arm to study the blond. The knight gives him a slight nod of his head as he helps Roxas down, supressing the grunt that nearly escapes him from how sore his muscles are. The Prince stumbles a bit, leaning himself on Riku who simply wraps an arm around him in silence to aid him. In his half-conscious state he realizes that Axel is walking the horses away in the direction of what looks to be a stable in the distance, then blinks curiously at Riku.

“Where are we?” He murmurs, rubbing at his eyes.

“Rest stop for the night,” the silver-haired teen explains. He nods towards the small river a few feet away from them. “Gotta get you cleaned up first before we go there though. You look…” he trails off.

Roxas simply rolls his eyes, detaching himself from the knight stubbornly and making his way to the river slowly as his previously numb feet get feeling restored back into them.

“What did you expect? Jumping off a bridge isn’t as graceful as it seems,” The blond murmurs more to himself than anything.

“What’s that?” Riku calls to him from behind.

“I said you should bathe as well, you reek.” Roxas taunts him louder, beginning to shed his half-destroyed shirt.

Riku lets out a huff of amusement. “Well at least I know you didn’t hit your head too hard or anything,” he responds, a hint of teasing laced within his tone.

The Prince quirks the side of his mouth up as he kneels near the river, grunting a bit when a dull pain shoots into his legs. He doesn’t bother mentioning to Riku that he’s still a little hazy at the moment, but it’s probably because his body is still waking up from their travels.

“We’ll hopefully have another horse for you tomorrow,” Riku continues as Roxas starts untying the makeshift bandage on his arm. As it unravels to reveal the closed wound, the blond releases a small breath in appreciation.

“Good,” Roxas responds.

Riku’s footsteps come closer and the Prince sees him kneeling beside him in his peripheral, studying the blond’s arm as well.

“Gods Roxas, that man got you good,” the knight comments, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Roxas turns his arm away, scooping water on his arm to clean the dried blood. “I’m fine.” He insists.

“I'm glad to hear.” Riku acknowledges, standing up. Roxas is grateful that the knight doesn’t pester him about it further, appreciating that Riku has never been one to make a big deal of him. The knight has always been a little more cautious with Sora, but seemed to accept when Roxas wasn’t in need of any fussing. They just didn’t have that kind of a dynamic between each other.

He cleans his wound as best as he can, while washing the dirt and dried blood from his face as well. Riku reaches into his bag to pass Roxas a clean shirt, who accepts it with a nod and pulls it over his head, wincing when the soreness in his arm starts to flare up. After he is fully situated, they begin to walk towards the stable in the distance. Roxas does his best to resist the waves of exhaustion threatening to consume him again, letting out a sigh of relief when they finally reach it. One of the men working at the stable turns to them as they approach.

“Ah, you must be the two travellers the redhead spoke of,” he says to them.

Riku nods. “That’s us. Where did he go?”

The man gestures towards the door of the stable. “Inside upstairs. He paid for three beds total, so you’re all set to rest in there.” He murmurs, beginning to carry a couple of buckets of water towards the horses.

Roxas and Riku share a confused look before entering the stable regardless, locating the stairs and walking up the creaking, wooden steps. The second floor is a simple room with a few beds lined up, Axel occupying one near the back of the room with his back to them. The blond pays it no mind, practically flopping down on the closest mattress and rubbing his face against the pillow with his eyes closed. He releases a sigh of relief, thankful that he could finally rest his weak body and sore muscles fully.

He hears Riku making his way to another bed, the knight working on untying his armour plates quietly. Roxas cracks an eye open, staring at the silver-haired teen tiredly.

“You want help?” He mumbles half-distinguishably.

He hears Riku chuckle quietly, the knight’s back to him. “No, I’m good. Get some rest already.” He insists, sliding his chest plate off.

Roxas gives a noise of acknowledgement, not needing to be told twice and closes his eyes. Within minutes he’s unconscious, idle thoughts of the days events replaying in his mind.

* * *

He wakes up to his name being called by Riku, blinking his tired eyes a few times to get the world in focus once more. The knight pulls back, nodding at the blond.

“Time to get up, we have a long day of travelling,” he explains, turning around to gather their bags.

Roxas doesn’t bother responding, not trusting his morning grumpiness to say anything favourable in response. He simply sits up, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly. The blond gives his left arm an experimental movement, wincing at the slight pain still flaring up from the movement. So, he wasn’t lucky enough to sleep the wound completely off. Releasing a breath, Roxas brushes it aside and moves his legs off of the bed. He stares at the ground tiredly for a few seconds, then looks up and notices Axel’s bed across the room is empty. The Prince assumes he’s already awake and downstairs, standing up and stretching for a few seconds.

Considering how badly he was feeling yesterday with all of his wounds, he’s happy that his body has healed this much. Without the help of the potion, Roxas gets a dark feeling inside of him that he would have surely perished in the forest. He frowns at the thought, then he stares at the bed Axel was resting in again.

He should really be grateful to Axel as well. Had the redhead not found him in the first place, he’d not be where he is now. Perhaps he should go thank him. The thought of doing so makes the blond hesitate slightly, already imagining the cocky nature Axel would immediately react with. He’d probably say something about how rescuing a damsel in distress has always been a goal of his. He can hear Axel saying it to him in his head, nearly rolling his eyes as the thought as he makes his way downstairs behind Riku.

They give the man working in the front room a quick greeting before exiting the stable and walking out into the crisp morning air. Roxas sees that the sun is just starting to rise, the faint hues of yellows, oranges and reds blooming from the horizon. It’s a pretty sight that is unfortunately lost on the Prince due to his tiredness.

He isn’t exactly sure _why_ he’s so tired, because even though he was badly wounded yesterday, he practically slept the entire late afternoon and evening through. It should have been more than enough rest, yet here he is, rubbing at his eyes to get the sleep out of them as he catches sight of Axel gathering their horses. He begins walking with Riku towards the redhead, the older man’s back to them as he adjusts the saddle into place.

Just as Roxas opens his mouth to call his name to get his attention, Axel half turns towards them upon hearing their footsteps. From his distance away, the blond can tell that Axel barely got any sleep the previous night, his normally striking green eyes appearing weary. The skin around them is dark with exhaustion as well, the redhead overall appearing to also want to go back to bed. His appearance is a little shocking to say the least, causing Roxas to shut his mouth quickly and instead nod at Axel.

The redhead doesn’t acknowledge him back in any way, turning back towards the horse and finishing with the saddle. When it’s done, he mounts the steed easily, blinking at Roxas and Riku with a blank stare.

“The black one is yours,” Axel murmurs to him, grabbing the reins and steering his horse into a walk down a path nearby.

“How much do I owe the man inside?” The Prince calls to Axel.

“Nothing. I paid for it,” he responds, not bothering to even turn around as he says it.

Much like last night, Riku and Roxas share a quizzical look.

“What’s gotten into him?” The blond asks in a hushed tone.

Riku purses his lips, starting towards his horse. “I should be the one asking you that,” he retorts.

Roxas gives him a sharp look in warning, stalking towards the horse Axel was talking about and raising himself onto the horse. He says nothing else as he presses his heels into the steed, commanding it to walk forward and follow behind Riku.

It’s not long before Axel starts leading them astray from the path they’re on, turning his horse to begin trekking through the open fields around them. At some point they end up back alongside Oathkeeper’s river, though this time they are not surrounded by the forests. Roxas wonders to himself how far the river must stretch, considering how long they’ve spent travelling along it. The Prince munches on the last rations of their bread as he ponders how long the river actually is, frowning when he realizes there’s little food left for them all. Just as he looks up from the near empty bag to tell Riku, the knight addresses him.

“Don’t worry. The next town we come across will surely have food. And there’s animals to hunt around here as well.” Riku says to him. The knight nods at the remaining pieces of bread. “You finish those,” he suggests.

Roxas nods, but still reaches out to give the knight one anyway. Riku accepts it with a small smile and takes a bite of it, looking ahead of him. The Prince does the same, staring at Axel riding about thirty feet ahead of them. He’s been travelling like that the entire morning, not saying a word to either Roxas or Riku. The two were convinced that something was up, yet neither of them knew how to address it. Of course, the knight seemed to think that Roxas would be the more appropriate candidate to approach the older man. It earned Riku a harsh glare and a threat of setting him ablaze with a spell from his fire tome, only causing the silver-haired teen to smirk to himself and look in the opposite direction.

How is he supposed to talk to Axel like that in the first place? Roxas isn’t a touchy-feely kind of person to begin with, perfectly content with not addressing any of the things that Axel and him have done over the past few days. So, the idea of actively going up to the redhead and asking him _what’s wrong_ like he’s the man’s wife or something makes him cautious to say the least. Maybe it’s more of a matter of pride on the other hand, which is also plausible considering their taunting actions towards each other.

Then Roxas thinks about the way Axel kissed him yesterday after he found the Prince in the forest, recalling the way even though he was so exhausted, his heart gave an extra labored thump in response to the action. At first, he thought it might have been some kind of fever dream in his declining state, but when the redhead called him a brat, he became quite certain it was reality. That did nothing to reduce the way he stared at Axel thoughtfully after that, trying to read his uneasy expression in his exhaustion.

Though the Prince is frowning as he does it, he commands his horse to gallop forward until he is walking parallel with the redhead. He turns to look at Axel, noticing that the redhead doesn’t do the same. Roxas becomes a little annoyed with being so actively ignored, but still reaches his arm out and offers a piece of the bread to Axel.

The action actually grabs the redhead’s attention, causing him to spare a quick glance towards the food. He still doesn’t meet Roxas’ eyes, turning his head back to stare in front of him.

“I’m good,” he murmurs in response, his voice quiet.

Roxas clenches his jaw for a second, releasing the tension slowly. “Just eat it. It’s the last rations of food left.”

Axel still won’t look at him. “You could use the extra food.”

The blond narrows his eyes at the older man. “Shut up and eat it,” Roxas protests with an edge in his voice.

He thinks he sees Axel’s grip on his reins tighten. “I said I don’t want it.” The redhead repeats himself, also responding with an abrupt tone.

Roxas, ever the stubborn one, doesn’t let it end with that. “And _I_ said, eat the bread.” He commands through gritted teeth.

“How many times do I have to tell you, daft Prince?” The redhead growls out. “I don’t want your bread.”

“If you don’t take it, I will shove it down your throat myself.” Roxas warns quietly, glowering at the redhead.

“For gods sake!” Axel resigns with a flustered tone, grabbing the bread from the Prince. He takes a rough bite of it, chewing the food. “Happy now?!” He shouts at him, the redhead’s mouth still full of bread.

Roxas stares at Axel intently, pleased that he’s actually making eye contact with him again. He holds the older man’s gaze for another second or two, nodding slowly and turning to stare ahead as a silence falls upon them. It’s tense, but Roxas doesn’t let it intimidate him, simply staring ahead at the fields of green around them as they ride.

“Is there something you still need?” He hears Axel say to him, the redhead’s voice low.

Roxas glances at him quickly, frowning. “Not particularly.” He responds, pausing for a moment.

Axel keeps his mouth shut, nodding silently in resignation and turning to look ahead of them again. Roxas isn’t sure at first, but he gets the feeling that every so often Axel has his eye on the blond, but every time the Prince glances towards the older man, his gaze is set forward with a stern look on his face.

The sun is high in the sky by the time they make a stop, and the only reason they do is because a waterfall blocks their continuation. Roxas has seen small falls in the forests of the Islands in his explorations with Sora in their childhood and early teens, but they were more like cascades than anything; four- or five-feet tall falls that led along small rivers. This one has to be at least a hundred feet tall, the water falling into the river in loud whooshes. Roxas stares at the sight with awe, blinking at it in silence as the three of them come to rest in front of it.

Riku is the first to speak. “What now?” He asks uncertainly.

Roxas can only agree mentally, not seeing any clear way of getting up their cliff with the horses. He looks down towards Axel to listen to the redhead’s next plans, and this time catches the older man staring at him. When their eyes meet, Axel lowers his gaze to the ground and looks away. Roxas narrows his eyes in suspicion, becoming annoyed; why was he constantly staring at the blond?

Axel speaks before he can ponder it further. “If memory serves right, there’s a path leading up down that way. I’ll go scope it out first,” he offers.

Riku shakes his head. “No, I’d much prefer to be the one doing it this time.” He says. Roxas doesn’t miss the hint of hostility in the knight’s tone.

Axel doesn’t seem to either, glaring at the silver-haired teen. “You got something you want to say?” He asks lowly.

The knight isn’t intimidated in the slightest, raising his chin as he turns his horse in the direction the redhead was talking about. “I’ve made myself rather clear.” He taunts, commanding his horse to gallop away before Axel can say anything else. Roxas sees the redhead tensing up though, glaring heatedly at the back of Riku’s head as he rides off.

There’s a stretch of silence before the Prince sees Axel raise his head to stare at the blond, looking surprisingly remorseful. “I didn’t know there were men waiting there,” he explains, gritting his teeth. “I obviously wouldn’t have-“ he cuts himself off, shaking his head and looking away. “I wouldn’t have lead you into a trap like that.” He emphasizes lowly.

“I know,” Roxas says easily. Axel looks up to him in surprise and his sincere expression makes the blond feel a little nervous, so he looks away this time. “You wouldn’t get your gold if I died, now would you?” He adds, trying to lighten the mood.

There’s a moment of silence after he says it, causing Roxas to sneak a glance at Axel again. When they stare at each other, the redhead starts speaking as if to catch himself. “Right. Then how could I buy all the mangoes I’d ever need?” He offers back, though there’s a strain to his voice that isn’t normally there when he teases Roxas.

The Prince almost frowns in recognition, but pauses for a moment to think before simply interrogating the man. Axel would definitely deflect if he just outright asked him why he was acting so strangely, so he needs to approach this in a smart way.

So, he takes a breath and swallows his pride. “I…never thanked you. For finding me yesterday.” The Prince says. “So…thanks.” He says flatly.

Axel’s gaze seems to soften a little bit After a few seconds he looks at Roxas again, an unreadable expression on his face. Something about it seems like Axel has exposed a part of himself for a second, before the redhead blinks and a small smirk tugs at his lips.

“Next time, try to give a little heads up before you leap to a near-death,” Axel simply responds. The way he says it is in the redhead’s usual bantering tone and yet Roxas can’t help thinking that his comment felt forced.

The fact that he’s trying to cover himself up annoys Roxas. He ignores the older man’s words, staring at Axel seriously as he speaks. “I’m not kidding around. I probably would have died had you not found me.” He insists.

The little amusement that was in the redhead’s eyes vanishes instantly and Axel grabs his reigns to turn the horse away and put some distance between them. Roxas grits his teeth, mentally scolding himself for not playing his cards right.

But he’s already brought it up and it seems like this might be what’s causing Axel to act so strangely, considering his reaction just now. So, he might as well continue. Roxas’ lips move on their own anyway and he calls out to the redhead. “What’s going on Axel?”

“Don’t know what you mean,” the older man calls back to him, not turning around. Roxas lowers himself from his steed and starts running towards the redhead.

“Yes you do!” He protests. “Did something happen? Was it Riku?” The Prince asks, stopping as he nears Axel.

The redhead’s silence indicates it has nothing to do with the knight, so Roxas grits his teeth. “Is it because you were scared for me yesterday?” He tries again.

Axel halts his horse in place immediately, but he doesn’t turn around. Roxas swallows thickly, starting towards the redhead and stopping when he’s a few feet next to him. He stares up at Axel on top of his horse, the redhead’s stern gaze not meeting his.

“Don’t be a fool,” Axel says weakly, still not looking at him.

“Don’t be a liar,” Roxas retorts sternly.

It causes the redhead to glance down at the Prince with an icy stare. “Enough.” He declares.

“What? The big, tough, mercenary was actually scared of something for once?” Roxas challenges, feeling his emotions flare up easily. It seems to happen so easily when he’s around the readhead.

Axel’s glare seems to worsen, but it doesn’t stop the Prince from continuing. “You’ve been quick to prey off of my fears throughout our travels and now all of a sudden you can’t even face your own?”

The redhead still holds his tongue, which feeds into Roxas’ outburst even more. “I don’t get it Axel, are you worried you actually might like someone who is supposed to be the enemy!?”

That causes Axel to crack, the redhead dropping from his horse with a thud. “Alright you brat, I said that’s enough.” He warns.

“Or what?” Roxas retorts, seeing Axel step closer to him. He narrows his eyes at the redhead, not backing down. “You kill men like it’s nothing, but you can’t even speak truthfully towards me!?”

“There’s that patronizing little snob I recognize,” Axel taunts, levelling his gaze with Roxas as he stops close to him.

Roxas has to really restrain himself from striking Axel in the face for such a comment, but he does it because the Prince gets the feeling the redhead is trying to bait him on purpose.

He takes a step back from Axel, raising his chin confidently. “See? Now you’re trying to antagonize me to avoid answering that question!” Roxas yells. “So, what is it Axel!? What could you have to say that is so bad you’d rather me get angry and attack you than admit!?”

The redhead closes the gap between them again, grabbing the front of the Prince’s shirt and pulling him forward with a quick movement. He feels Axel’s hand move to the back of his neck to grip the blond tightly and then the older man’s lips are pressing hard against his own. It takes Roxas by surprise, his eyes widening and body going still at the action.

As Axel’s other hand comes to wrap around the blond’s waist, Roxas pulls back and stares up at the redhead with a flushed glare. “ _What_ do you think you’re doing?” He hisses out, pulling himself from Axel and backing up.

The redhead just stares at him, a new kind of possessive look adorning his features. He stalks towards Roxas slowly, as if he’s a predator advancing on prey. “Trying to occupy that pretty little mouth of yours.” Axel practically purrs out to him.

That kind of a response stirs something inside of Roxas, making him pause as Axel advances upon him again. He gets a momentary spike of excitement out of the words, even more so when the redhead leans down slowly, capturing his lips much gentler this time. The Prince can’t even begin to deny the way it immediately starts to calm him down, feeling him press back against the redhead. Axel’s hands are on him again within seconds, one of them around his waist and the other cupping his face. He knows this is just another attempt at distracting Roxas from the topic at hand, but this time it actually works because the blond is closing his eyes as Axel continues to plant chaste kisses against his mouth.

The redhead angles his head to the side more so he can deepen their kiss, causing a thrilling sensation to spark inside of Roxas and their lips meet with greater intensity. It quickly becomes a situation where Roxas is left with only wanting more. More kissing, more touching, more Axel.

The Prince pulls back a bit to gasp as the redhead’s hand on his waist moves upward, pulling Roxas close until he’s pressed against Axel’s chest. He presses a hand to the front of the man to steady himself, feeling the redhead’s heart beating steadily inside and grips the man’s shirt tightly in response. Then Roxas feels Axel start pressing open mouth kisses against his mouth, taking hint the quickly and parting his mouth to allow the redhead access.

A new flash of eagerness enters Roxas, sliding his arm up Axel’s chest to wrap around the back of his neck and pull the older man closer to him. He hears Axel inhale sharply, then the redhead pulls away with his hand around the Prince’s wrist.

Roxas stares up at him questioningly as the redhead pulls him towards the waterfall. Axel says nothing, maneuvering them into a space behind the flowing water that sort of looks like a cave behind it. Roxas barely has time to look around it before Axel is on him again, kissing him in such a way that it makes the blond’s head feel hazy.

Axel has both of his hands on either side of the Prince’s hips, beginning to push against him gently. Roxas takes a hesitant step backward, then another when the redhead’s grip tightens. They slowly move backwards, still locked lips with one another in fiery kisses until Roxas’ back bumps the rocky wall gently. He lets out a noise of surprise at the contact and Axel pulls back once more.

“I would hate for your friend to come back and see what I’m doing to you,” the redhead murmurs to him lowly.

Roxas tilts his head to the side. “What are you-“ he tries, but is cut off by Axel’s lips pressing against his own again. He gasps into the feeling, gripping the redhead tightly when Axel’s hand start pushing his shirt up enough to grab onto his pants. Roxas tenses when the fabric starts sliding down his legs.

“Axel-“ he starts.

“Don’t worry, it was just a joke. I’ll be done long before he gets back,” Axel taunts him, pausing in his actions to cup both sides of Roxas’ cheeks as he kisses him. The blond’s heart is thumping wildly, multiple different things running through his mind.

Axel seems to sense his unsureness, pulling back to stare at the blond. They’re both panting lightly, not saying anything as they gaze at one another. Roxas thinks the redhead’s pupils are dilated more than normal and wonders if his own look the same at this moment.

“Should I stop?” The redhead asks him quietly, starting to release his hold of the Prince’s face.

Roxas reacts instinctually, grabbing the man’s wrist tightly to halt them in place. He looks at their hands, then up to Axel again.

He doesn’t want to say it out loud, but Roxas gives a weak ‘no’ and pulls the redhead down for another kiss. The action seems to send a wave of lust into Axel, the older man releasing a low moan as their tongues meet each other’s again. His hands move down to the blond’s hips once more, working on removing the clothing. He stops when the Prince’s pants are midway down his thighs, then Roxas feels a thrilling sensation into his groin when the redhead’s hand moves along his exposed skin.

Roxas is pretty sure his face is as red as Axel’s hair at this moment, his skin feeling hot and sensitive as the older man’s hands start working on his underwear. He’s thankful Axel continues to share heated kisses with him, at least shielding him somewhat.

That is, until Axel pulls back and stares at Roxas with a lustful expression, slowly lowering himself to his knees in front of the blond. Roxas pants quietly, staring at Axel with a puzzled look and inhaling sharply when the redhead grabs a hold of his length and starts stroking it gently.

Roxas closes his eyes tightly, unable to watch Axel watching him as he touches the blond. Not while he has that teasing glint to his dark gaze. It’s like a silent reminder that he let himself get seduced by the redhead within a matter of minutes.

Then the next thing he knows, Axel mouth is on him and Roxas is choking out a moan, bringing a hand to cover his mouth as he does it. Then a couple moments later, the redhead releases him with a wet sound.

“I think I liked that noise,” Axel says as he flicks his wrist lazily. “Do it again.” He requests, his voice low and silky.

Roxas swallows thickly, his eyes still shut tight and turns his head to the side and lowers his hand. “You have such a filthy mouth,” he bites out weakly.

He opens his eyes a little bit, enough to see Axel giving him such a devilish smirk. He sees the redhead gripping the base of his erection, his mouth just inches away from it. Then Roxas finds himself unable to look away, watching Axel’s lips part enough for him to take the head in. He swallows thickly, the feeling of the redhead’s mouth like no other and igniting flares of desire inside of him. Axel’s tongue presses flat against him, then he pulls back and drags the wet muscle along the underside of his length, earning a breathy exhale from Roxas.

“You don’t seem to have much of a problem with it right now,” Axel murmurs against his hot skin. The movement of his lips against the sensitive area makes Roxas shiver slightly, closing his eyes and wishing the redhead would stop teasing him. He’s not sure how much of it he’d be able to take, considering at this point he’s already a hot, panting mess. The blond is thankful he’s leaning against the wall, otherwise his legs might be shaking.

Then Axel resumes licking and kisses him, working his way back up to the head of his erection before opening his mouth and taking a mouthful of Roxas in. The Prince chokes on a gasp, the pleasurable feeling shooting through his body all at once. Then Axel goes even further, taking even more of the blond in until his lips are pressed against the Prince’s pelvis.

This time Roxas can’t help the noise that escapes him, the tightness of Axel’s throat sending him into the clouds. He can’t prevent his quiet sounds; the hisses, sharp intakes of breaths and moans as the redhead’s actions pick up in pace. Axel’s head bobs up and down with his movements, his eyes locked on Roxas.

Then hot, tight feeling inside of him is hiking fast, much like the morning at the inn. It’s like the sensation has doubled in how good it makes Roxas feel, the blond not even knowing it could get this good. Maybe its because he’s never felt it before, or maybe it’s because Axel is the one doing it. Maybe it’s a bit of both.

He can’t begin to dwell on it anymore, releasing soft cries of pleasure with the things that Axel continues to do to him. When the redhead moans quietly against the Prince, Roxas tilts his chin up and leans his head against the stone wall.

“A-axel…a-ah!” He hisses out when the redhead takes him in completely again. He feels Axel’s hands grab his side, holding him in place as his thumbs press into his hip bones. The redhead doesn’t say anything, his head still moving back and forth quickly.

Roxas bites his lip, shaking his head. “I can’t…I-I’m not going to…” he can’t even finish, feeling like he’s about to burst.

It’s like Axel is plucking him like strings of a lyre, knowing what areas to kiss and touch to make the blond sing. He’s choking out Axel’s name quietly, knowing that any second he’s going to come undone.

And then he does, his body going stiff with his mouth open. He’s silent for a second as his hips jerk in Axel’s grasp, the euphoric feeling within him making the sides of his vision go blurry for just a second. Roxas grabs onto the top of Axel’s head to steady himself as he bends forward a little bit, nearly falling to his knees. The redhead holds him steady, keeping his mouth around the Prince as he rides out his waves of pleasure.

Roxas pants heavily, staring at the falls in front of him with a dazed expression. After some time to catch his breath, he rises fully and feels his legs tremble slightly as he puts more weight of them. The blond swallows and looks down at Axel, seeing the redhead slowly start to pull away, his lips releasing the Prince’s length. The last of him is released with a soft popping noise, then Axel stands up and places his hands on Roxas’ neck as he leans down to kiss him.

When he pulls back, Axel is staring at Roxas with a hazy gaze and it sends something through the blond, making him reach a hand out the rest against the older man. He stares at Axel as his hand starts moving downward, only to have it halted when Axel grabs his wrist.

He furrows his eyebrows in confusion as the redhead shakes his head with a small smile. “We don’t have _that_ much time,” he murmurs.

Roxas wants to frown and say who cares, but thinking on it he has to agree with Axel. The redhead shifts his underwear and pants up, allowing the Prince to take control and adjust them fully. When he’s done, Axel starts making his way towards their horses and stops to turn and give him a wink.

“Hopefully we can grab a place with rooms tonight,” the redhead says before he disappears back outside of the hidden space.

Roxas stares at the space Axel was just standing, then begins to follow behind and mentally agrees.

* * *

 

“Note that the subject has not had any subsequent reactions compared to yesterday with further testing,” His superior’s voice calls out pristinely. “We will allow the most recent dosage to sit for another night before administering another.”

The student nods his head, dipping his pen into the small cup of ink to coat it and begins transcribing the notes under the most recent entry, beginning with the date. He listens as the older man continues to recite his most recent findings, writing them down in neat writing. It’s like his mind clouds over when he hears the words “alternative methods for catalyzing”, not even wanting to think of the possible details that could involve.

As his superior is finishing with his verbal notes, the door to the lab opens sharply and catches both of their attention. The student immediately looks down when he sees who it is, continuing to write the notes from memory and ignoring him.

“The King requests your presence, Vexen.” The man calls to his superior. His voice is low, yet powerful as he says it.

Vexen looks surprised for a moment before nodding sharply. “Y-yes of course,” he says, taking a moment to collect himself. The student doesn’t miss how the man’s eyes appear fearful in that split second of recognition, obviously not wanting to see the King.

His superior turns to him quickly. “Ienzo, finish the notes and place them in the archives. Then prepare the next dosage so it’s ready for tomorrow.” His superior orders.

“Of course My Lord,” he murmurs, not looking up from his notes. With that, the men take their leave and shut the door behind them with a rough jerk. It makes him jump slightly in surprise as he dips his pen into the ink again, narrowing his gaze to the door in a silent glare before returning to his work. It doesn’t take him long to finish, finalizing the report and then returning to the top of the entry to title it.

_The Key: Entry 21_

He frowns as he finishes, staring down at the page as the ink dries upon it. His eyes scan over the report to read it over, ensuring that it is free from any errors and stands when he has finished reading it through. Though he was given the information needed for recording purposes, Ienzo is still not completely sure of what the purpose of the project being conducted is. Ever since the return from the treaty reunion, his superior’s attention diverted from any current projects, having direct orders from the King to focus on this one.

He still didn’t even know what the purpose of the test subject was. None of Lord Vexen’s notes ever has anything to do with the subject on a personal level. He knows that it’s a male, but that is it. There’s no name assigned to him, simply referred to as ‘the key’ in their notes. All Ienzo ever seems to record is the procedures conducted on the subject, the types of drugs and medicines that have been used on him and his reactions. So far, nothing has seemed to produce any significant results that could be of any benefit to his superior, which didn’t seem like a good thing for him. It’s probably why Lord Vexen is being summoned in the first place. Ienzo has only been present in front of the King a handful of times and could confidently say that the man was all but comfortable to be around.

They’ve only just begun this project though, which is another piece that doesn’t seem to make much sense. They’ve worked on research projects for months with little to no results and it has never been an issue. So, why all of a sudden was this one in such a rush? The amount of reports and documentations that have been made on this test subject alone would have indicated they’ve been studying him for weeks instead of just days. This was surely a unique project…

It piqued his curiosity, which Ienzo knows isn’t a good thing because it’s left him constantly thinking about the subject. What could have been so promising of him that it caused his superior to be working day and night to produce results? He is itching to know; though he knows that it is strictly forbidden to do his own kind of investigation on the matter.

Ienzo stands up, letting out a quiet exhale and walking towards a sealed box. He holds his hand above it and murmurs a quiet spell, watching the black vines coiling around it fade into dark smoke. He opens it, filing the report in order of most recent.

“ _You must never take these from this room and the box must always be spellbound._ ” His superior said to him sternly the day they started taking notes.

 _Why?_ He wanted to ask instinctually, but Ienzo simply nodded in acknowledgement.

He picks up the pile of reports, sifting through them quickly. He pauses at the back of the pile, pulling out a report simply titled _Preface_. It’s not familiar to Ienzo causing him to furrow his eyebrows in confusion and he starts reading its contents. When did this get here? He is sure that it wasn’t there the last time he was taking notes.

As his eyes scan over the report, he feels a deep dread beginning to plant itself in the back of his mind. With each sentence he reads, Ienzo becomes aware of the fear that mixes in with the dread, swallowing thickly at its contents. When he’s done, Ienzo releases a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, filing the report away as if it’s an entity to be fearful of. He closes the box tightly and seals it with a spell in a rush, backing away and staring at it as if it could attack him at any moment.

He takes a few breaths to steady himself, looking at the ground as he collects his thoughts. After moments of thinking, he shakes his head back and forth, gritting his teeth and walking towards the door. He opens it quietly, glancing out into the large, dark hallway first. With no signs of anyone present, Ienzo closes the door behind him with a soft click, locking the door and dropping the key into the pockets of his robes.

He begins stalking down the hallway, keeping his footsteps light and his mind sharp in case he hears anyone approaching. He’s lucky to not run into any of the guards, that is until he approaches the entryway to the dungeon hall. As he rounds the corner, he sees two knights standing on guard, the two of them giving him questioning glances as he approaches.

Ienzo pays them no mind, not even making eye contact with either as he starts walking towards the hallway. One of the guards has an issue with his actions though, holding out his lance to block Ienzo’s pursuit. He halts abruptly, glaring at the man’s weapon before turning his icy stare up to meet his gaze.

“Let me through,” he orders quietly, not liking the way the guard smirks at his words.

“On what grounds?” He asks.

Ienzo tenses his jaw. “I’m working on the key project. Should I tell the King myself you dolts are preventing me from getting my work done, or will you?” He asks rudely. Of course he’s not this involved, but he’s surprisingly convincing even to himself.

His words seem to strike a chord with the guard, his expression becoming serious at the mention of the King. He pulls his arm back, nodding sheepishly and the ground and giving him access to the room. Ienzo starts to walk into the hallway, sparing glances at the doors. It isn’t until he comes to the one at the end with a torch lit next to it that he pauses, feeling the dread return from earlier. He gulps, staring at the wooden door with an apprehensive look before stepping forward and grabbing onto the handle. The door creaks and clicks as he twists the handle, opening the door with a slow movement.

He grabs the torch from its place next to the door and enters the cell, blinking his eyes into the dark room with the flame held in front of him. It takes him a couple of seconds to locate him, the dark figure laying on his side with his back to Ienzo. He frowns, taking another step forward but pauses when the figure starts to move, rolling towards him slightly. Ienzo notices the bonds tying his hands behind his back and the black cloth tied around his eyes, blindfolding him.

“You’re…new,” he hears the subject speak quietly, his voice weak.

He gulps, unsure as to how the young-sounding boy can tell considering his current state. _This_ was the Key? He doesn’t appear to be much older than himself, maybe even the same age. Ienzo steps closer, until he’s just a few feet away from the subject and kneels down to examine him closer. The teen flinches harshly, curling away in fear.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” Ienzo murmurs quietly, gaze softening as he examines the boy’s arms. There are fist sized bruises with dark burn marks all along the skin and puncture wounds along his forearms. Ienzo starts thinking back to all of the reports he’s been recording in the past few days.

_Increased dosages when the subject fails to respond within a reasonable time._

Bruises staining the teen’s arms in the areas they’ve drawn blood, or injected something.

_Using viable means of force to increase the heart rate._

Cuts, burns, a bruised cheek and split lip.

_Psychological methods, to alter the subject’s state of mind._

The chained arms and blindfold, rendering him completely helpless. No way to see who is coming at you, or to get away.

He gulps, feeling his own heartrate increasing anxiously as he reaches out to lay a gentle hand on the teen’s arm.

The subject lets out an almost howl-like cry of pain, struggling to distance himself from the touch and rattling his chains. Ienzo gasps and nearly drops his torch, jerking his arm back.

“It burns!” He cries out, hissing in pain.

Ienzo stands and backs away from him. “I-I’m sorry,” he whispers.

The boy is twitching every couple of seconds, as if Ienzo’s touch has left him with shocks coursing through his body.

The subject turns his head slowly towards him, almost as if he’s intrigued by his words. “You’re what?” He asks carefully.

Ienzo stares at the teen apprehensively, his dirty clothes and battered body making his obligations waver in a lengthy silence.

“Nothing,” he corrects himself, standing up and stepping away towards the door.

“Wait!” The subject cries. “Please…” he says weakly.

Ienzo halts, keeping his head low and waiting for him to continue.

“You…you’re different from the others.” The teen says. “I can sense it inside.”

He gulps, trying not to waver again. “This is enough. I wished to see who the key is, and now I have.” He says, feigning a harsh tone to his voice. It doesn’t feel right as he does it.

“Me, that’s me. I’m the key,” the boy murmurs to himself. “They keep saying those words, but I don’t get it.”

Ienzo clenches his free hand tightly, the words of the hidden report coming to his mind. There’s this overwhelming innocence about the boy that makes this all feel so wrong. All of the things that have been done to him in the name of their research…how could it be justified when you stand in front of him and see the state he’s in?

“I miss the light,” the teen says sadly. Ienzo swallows thickly as the subject continues. “I miss the sun and the sky. The beach…my Islands.” He trails off.

Ienzo’s mouth forms into a frown as the gears in his head begin turning. His Islands? So, this boy is from Destiny Islands?

“I miss the children at the orphanage and the widows running it. I miss my family…mother and father. I miss Cloud and Roxas,” he says. The way he says these words makes Ienzo think that this isn’t the first time the subject has said them.

But he narrows his eyes at the two familiar names the boy just said. 

_Cloud and Roxas, the sons and Princes of Destiny Islands?_

“And Riku…Riku I miss you so much,” the boy cries, beginning to quietly sob to himself.

_There’s a third Prince, the twin of Roxas. A boy whose essence is so pure that he is able to wield light magic. A feat only a handful of people in history have ever been able to do._

“What is your name?” Ienzo asks more harshly than intended, due to the spike of fear inside of him.

The boy’s crying falls hushed, small hiccups escaping him. “My…name?” He repeats in an unsure manner. “It’s Sora.”

_Prince Sora, of Destiny Islands._

Ienzo’s chest is so tight right now, he thinks his ribcage might be constricting his lungs on their own as he thinks to the last line of the secret report.

_The key to an ancient power of destruction._


	15. Allusions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again my lovelies! I've been having so much fun working out the next few chapters of this story, I'm so eager to get it all written out. Things are starting to come together!!

Cloud is being dressed by a servant in his room when a sharp knocking comes to the door. He doesn’t look at the direction of the sound, simply staring at the man adjusting his sleeves and calling out for the person to enter. He hears the sound of the door clicking and swinging open, then finally turns his head to look at who it is.

It’s another servant, standing in the doorway with their hands folded behind their back “Pardon me, Your Grace-“

“What is it?” The Prince asks in a dismissive manner, looking back to the servant and giving the man a nod as he finishes adjusting his sleeve.

The servant at the door is hesitant as he speaks. “You will probably not want company for this, Your Grace.” The man replies lowly.

Cloud’s attention is caught by the servant, glancing over to the man and sizing him up. He looks at the other servant finishing up with his clothes, offering him a small nod to excuse himself. The servant bows once before taking his leave silently, walking from the room.

“A message has just come for you.” The servant explains.

Cloud nearly shakes his head in frustration. “A message? You came up here while I am getting ready for my father’s burial to tell me that I’ve got a message?”

“Y-yes, forgive me Your Grace,” the man replies apologetically, bowing his head. When he rises again, he offers the rolled-up paper to the Prince. “But I thought you would want to see it right away.”

Cloud’s eyes widen in surprise when he recognizes the seal binding the scroll together. His eyes meet the servant’s in hesitation for a moment, watching the man swallow nervously. Cloud approaches him without a word, taking the scroll gently. The servant bows again, excusing himself quietly and closing the Prince’s door behind him.

The blond looks down at the small scroll in his hand, staring intently at the seal pattern pressed into the dried wax. After realizing that he's been daze for some time, Cloud finally reacts and opens the parchment, unrolling the paper in his hands gently. His thumb smooths out the paper as it attempts to fold in itself again, then the blond’s eyes start scanning over the neatly written note.

Cloud’s world goes blank for a moment after reading the words, staring at the paper like it is written in another language. He holds the scroll in his hands, eyes scanning over the neat, black ink over and over again until it starts to sink in. When it does, the Prince swallows thickly and closes his eyes, releasing a long breath and trying to keep his mind focused. He simply folds the scroll back up, placing it in one of the pockets of his trousers and then turns to stare out one of his windows.

He approaches the open space calmly, resting his hands against the stone sill and staring out at the Islands blankly. It’s like his mind has been completely halted, unable to do much other than breathe and blink as he stands in front of the window.

Cloud stands there for some time. He’s not sure how long, considering his time capacity skills have been completely forgotten about in this moment. The distance sounds of the ocean washing up against the shore meet his ears, a sound that seems to be the only thing he can hear at the moment. Even as the bells rings periodically like they have been since the start of dawn this morning, the sounds seem to be completely drowned out by the waves. The Prince’s eyes close again; it’s like there’s thoughts surrounding him on all sides, trying to pierce his mind and bring him worry. But it’s like the sounds of the waves somehow keep him grounded, allowing him to ignore the creeping thoughts.

Then Cloud snaps his eyes open at once, turning around and beginning to walk towards the front hall for the start of the burial.

* * *

“I don’t get why we couldn’t go inside,” Roxas mutters quietly, kicking a small rock as he crosses his arms impatiently. He kicks another, watching the stone tumble a few times. The Prince raises his head to glance at Riku, seeing the knight leaning against the wall of the wooden building and looking at him.

“You want to drink with mercenaries?” The knight asks him skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

Roxas frowns at the thought. “He better not be drinking with mercenaries right now, he said he wouldn’t be long.”

Riku gives him a blank stare. “Axel seems like the kind of guy to stop and smell the roses.”

The Prince releases a frustrated breath, looking to their horses tied up nearby. After Riku returned from the passage up the cliff, the three made good progress in their travels. The knight gave Roxas a questioning glance when he returned and the Prince wondered if Riku could tell something happened between himself and Axel. Nothing was said about it thankfully and they continued to travel until arriving to a small village that Axel declared they needed to make a quick stop in.

When questioned why by Roxas _why_ they should halt their travelling to stop in the village, the redhead simply told him it had to do with the message he had sent in Hollow Bastian. The Prince became intrigued in finding out why Axel sent the message in the first place, recalling that the redhead said he would tell Roxas if the man responded. It ultimately lead to the blond making the decision to allow the redhead to make his stop, riding into the village and stopping just outside of a small tavern.

Axel told them to both wait outside, saying that he needed to go in alone because the guy would get tipped off if they all came in. But it’s been some time now since Axel went in and both of the teens are not happy to be standing idly around. Roxas shows it more than Riku does, with the way he crosses his arms and starts to get more aggressive with his rock kicking. Eventually, the blond lets out a frustrated noise in defeat.

“I’m going to go see what’s taking so long,” Roxas announces in annoyance, turning towards the door.

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea. If you go in there unannounced, you might cause a scene.” Riku responds.

“He’s probably already done his business and drinking casually like you said! The bastard,” Roxas accuses as he glowers at the door. “I don’t even know what this message is for.”

The knight leans his head back thoughtfully. “You said he was trying to get in contact with another mercenary? Maybe he’s getting more men to help us.” He suggests.

The Prince can’t help but roll his eyes. “You’re giving him too much credit. He doesn’t care about us, all he wants is his gold.” He bites out harshly, thinking back to the conversation he had with Axel hours ago.

Riku gives the blond a suspicious glance before lowering his eyes. “He’ll have you believe that.” The knight murmurs.

“What do you mean?” Roxas asks with furrowed eyebrows.

The knight is silent for a moment before he sighs. “This is like those stupid love ballads,” he comments, running a gloved hand over his face tiredly.

The Prince glowers at Riku silently, huffing and turning away. “Fine, be vague.” He resigns, taking a few steps away and crossing his arms. His gaze starts trailing across the various building around them in the small village. When he sees one with a small stand of food in front of it, Roxas drops his hands at his sides and starts walking towards it.

“Where are you going?” Riku calls to him.

The Prince stops and turns, holding out an arm to point at the small shop. “If I’m waiting around like this, I might as well buy food.” He explains.

The knight seems a bit hesitant, but nods regardless. “Alright, we’ll come get you if he finishes before you’re back. Keep a low profile.”

“I will,” the Prince growls out and turns to start walking towards the small building. There are a few other people walking about the village, giving Roxas curious stares as he passes them. The blond keeps his head low, not having his hooded cape anymore from when Axel cut it to bandage his arm. Although it doesn’t seem like he really needs it in a place like this with few people, Roxas still feels a little uncomfortable with his face visible.

When he reaches the shop he opens the door gently, hearing the wood creak loudly as it swings open. Roxas closes it behind him, glancing at the store and meeting eyes with an elderly woman across the room. She sits behind a desk, her hand gripping a pen and hovering above the paper as they stare at each other. The woman has black hair and dark eyes to match, wearing a light pink dress.

She lowers the pen, giving Roxas a sweet smile. “Oh, hello dear. How do you do?”

The Prince gives her a small smile, stepping forward. “Hello, my lady. I’m well, and yourself?”

The woman gives him a surprised glance, then her expression softens. “Very well, thank you.”

Roxas nods his head politely, beginning to look around the store. His eyes scan over the various foods laid out, beginning to pick up a few loaves of bread.

“Are you a traveller?” She asks him as he trails around the tables.

Roxas nods absentmindedly. “Yes, my lady.”

“I thought so. I didn’t recognize your face.”

The blond wonders what it’s like to live in such a small village that everyone knows each other. It must be quiet to say the least, judging by the lack of activity going around.

“It looks like you’ve done a lot of it,” The woman comments.

The Prince pauses as he picks up a red fruit, staring at the woman with a guarded expression.

“Travelling, that it.” She corrects herself. Something about the way she says it sounds intuitive, like she knows Roxas already. She’s just smiling at him sweetly though as their gazes meet again, so he continues on with his browsing.

“I have,” he admits quietly. “More in the past several days than I ever have in my life.”

“It’s a wonderful thing to do,” the woman adds. “Exploring lands you’ve never seen, trying things you’d never do…” she trails off. Roxas smiles to himself at her words, feeling the genuineness in her tone.

“It’s freeing.” The blond finishes. He blinks after he says it, turning to stare at the old woman again.

“Yes. It is.” She agrees.

Roxas lowers his gaze in shyness, smiling and looking across the store. His attention perks up when he sees a small stand of books lined up along it.

“Are those for sale as well?” The Prince asks, nodding his head towards them.

The woman nods, so the blond walks to the desk and sets the food he’s gathered down. “Pardon me, I’ll just be another moment.”

He approaches the shelf, his eyes scanning over the spines of the books. They’re all old and some are even falling apart, pieces of the corners peeling off. Roxas picks one of them up idly, opening the book to a random page and reading its contents. The text describes something about a bear and his adventures with all of his friends. Roxas closes the book gently after a few moments, realizing it’s a children’s book and putting it back. He picks up another, a gray book that looks to be the oldest one on the shelf.

The Prince’s eyebrows crease downwards as he holds the book in his hands, staring at the cover with an intricate mandala-like pattern drawn on it. The book looks like it wasn’t always this gray, its cover dirty and worn out.

“That book is said to hold great magical power,” the woman says to him quietly. Roxas looks to her as she continues, eager to listen. A tome? He’d never seen one like this before…

“You are a mage then?” She asks.

The blond nods, opening the cover of the tome. Its pages are worn, yet the ink still appears freshly on it. The ancient script is written in neat lines, filling the pages completely and he turns them to scan the text. Some of the phrasing and particular words don’t make sense to him, but Roxas quickly finds himself becoming intrigued with the tome.

“I’m afraid I could not tell you what power that tome possesses, as I cannot read it. I practiced magic in my younger days, learning through oral teachings. I never met anyone capable of teaching me that one.”

Before the Prince can respond, the door to the shop opens quickly. The sudden noise makes Roxas flinch in surprise, turning sharply to the door to see Axel standing in the way. The redhead glances at the old woman and nods, then gives Roxas a quick once over. When their eyes meet the blond looks away sharply, getting thoughts of Axel's actions earlier.

“We’re ready. Let’s go,” Axel simply murmurs to him and then turns around. He shuts the door swiftly behind him and Roxas stares at it for a moment before rolling his eyes. Funny that the redhead is now acting like they’re on a schedule even though the man left them waiting outside a tavern. Roxas turns to the woman sheepishly.

“I apologize. His manners are poor at best.” Roxas says to her, walking towards the counter with the tome in his hand.

The woman shakes her head. “It’s quite alright. I’ve met many men like him. Many much worse.” She replies with a gentle laugh. Roxas doesn’t think it’s funny in the slightest considering he’s also met such men, but forces a weak chuckle.

“Take good care of that now,” she says after everything is paid for, looking at the tome in the Prince’s arm. Roxas nods his head as he stares at the book, eager to open it and begin reading the pages already. It had been days since he read something other than his tomes the few times on their travels. The blond thanks the woman as he leaves, returning to Axel and Riku who are situated atop of their horses. Roxas sets his bag and tome down, beginning to untie his horse from its space next to the tavern Axel was in.

“You bought a tome?” Riku asks him. Roxas glances at the knight, shrugging.

“I haven’t read anything new since the day we left the castle.” He explains, gathering his belongings and pulling himself onto the horse.

“You’re going to read while we travel?” Axel asks him skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

Roxas bites his tongue, taking a breath and looking away. “How did the meeting go?” He asks, ignoring the previous question.

There’s a silence before Axel responds, but the blond still doesn’t look in his direction. “He got the message. I’m meeting him tomorrow night in Tenebris Urbem.”

Riku speaks up, his voice skeptical. “There’s no such place on the map. I’ve studied it long over.” He comments.

The Prince looks to his knight with a matched puzzled expression, then the two of them glance at Axel as he speaks, the redhead looking into the distance they would be travelling towards shortly.

“Your map only shows a different translation of the name,” Axel explains as his voice glazes over with something hollow. Roxas doesn’t like the way the man speaks, feeling uncomfortable with how the redhead’s demeanor has changed. “But it’s generally referred to as the country’s capital.”

“Dark City…” The knight murmurs in recognition.

“A rather unpleasant place with many unpleasant people.” The redhead echoes, beginning to command his horse to walk. His voice starts to become teasing once again. “But it’s a good place to form a plan with the help of my friend. And we’ll need a good one if we want to get into the castle.”

Roxas and Riku start to follow behind, their horses picking up their pace to catch up with Axel quickly.

“It is not a matter of if, it is a matter of _when_.” The Prince corrects, staring at the back of Axel’s head.

“The confidence is always charming,” Axel taunts back, his gaze still ahead of them.

Roxas grips the horse’s reigns tightly, glaring at the older man and feeling like Axel is patronizing him. “It wasn’t meant to be charming.” The blond bites out.

“I’ll meet my friend in a tavern just after sunset,” Axel continues, ignoring the blond’s comment. “We’ll work together to strategize something while you two will stay at an inn and when I return, I’ll give you the plans.”

“No way,” Roxas rejects immediately. “I’m not letting the fate of my brother rest on the word of someone I don’t even know. I want to be there.”

“This guy spooks easily just like this last one. It’s best if I do it myself.” Axel levels with him, half turning his head towards the blond as he speaks. “You have a way of throwing things off track.”

“How is it you know someone who can sneak into the castle?” Riku interjects with his question, seeing the way Roxas bristles up at the redhead’s comment.

“Well, let’s just say he’s there enough to know the layout fairly well.” Axel replies casually.

The Prince gives Riku a stern glance in suspicion. “Your friend…the mercenary is a castle guard?” He asks cautiously in realization.

“Sure is.” The redhead answers, rolling out his neck a little bit.

Roxas glares at the back of the man’s head. “Then I am going to be present for this meeting, or it’s not happening.” He declares.

He hears Axel let out an aggravated sigh from ahead. “Don’t be a fool. This could be your only opportunity to get into the castle without getting caught.”

“How do you expect me to trust a man who serves King Xehanort!?” Roxas bursts out, his anger surging quickly.

Axel’s horse comes to a stop all of a sudden and then the redhead turns to the Prince sharply. His eyes are cold and hard, completely different from how they normally look at Roxas.

“I don’t. I expect you to trust me.” The redhead retorts icily.

His words take Roxas off guard, making the Prince swallow thickly as he stares at the older man. He halts his horse and sees Riku do the same in his peripheral. There’s a stretch of silence after Axel speaks, the two of them giving the other assertive looks. After no kind of recognition from Roxas, the redhead breaks eye contact with the Prince and starts his horse again, beginning to walk once more.

Riku cuts in before the conversation drops off, the tension being felt by all three of them. “What if Roxas and I observed from inside the tavern in a separate area?” He suggests, giving the blond a look that says ‘stay calm and breathe’.

So, Roxas does, looking away into the field they’re walking through and inhaling slowly. Axel is silent for a moment, but eventually speaks. “That’s not a terrible idea from you, surprisingly enough.”

Now Riku is glaring at the back of the man’s head and Roxas has to clear his throat quietly so the knight doesn’t get too worked up either.

“Alright then. If you can both not interfere and ruin everything, then sure. Can you do that?”

Roxas sees the knight shaking his head in annoyance in his peripheral. “Yes.” Riku grits out, clearly trying his best to swallow his pride as he says it.

The Prince says nothing though, refusing to let Axel gloat further. The redhead finally turns to look at the blond when he remains silent, then a smirk begins to settle on the man’s face.

“I’m going to need you to say it as well, Roxas.” Axel says, drawing out his name a little bit at the end as he says it.

The Prince frowns at the way Axel speaks to him, the taunting tone reminding the blond of the night they sailed from the Islands. “I refuse to participate in your mind games.”

“Mind games?” Axel asks incredulously. “I just want to make sure you stay safe.” The redhead insists, his tone still lighthearted.

Roxas sees right through it though, unsure if the man is purposely acting like a fool. He grabs the tome he just purchased from his bag, pulling the thick cover open and studying the inside page.

“ _I’ll_ make sure I stay safe.” He calls back, already half-distracted by the ancient words of text in his hands.

“Yes and we’ve seen where that’s gotten you,” Axel mutters, the man finally dropping his charade.

The Prince’s gaze sharpens at the tome in his hands, then he looks at the back of the older man’s head with a glare he wished would do more than it does as they ride on. Which was in fact, nothing at all.

* * *

The ceremony itself is small. There’s maybe fifty people in attendance, only ones who were close to his father and a few exceptions. It’s short, to-the-point and relatively easy (or as easy as watching your father getting buried in a tomb can be) to endure. Aerith cries, enough for both of them. She holds his hand as they start to shake, gripping him tightly until he stops. It takes him a while, but eventually his trembling hands calm down and rest within hers.

It’s the visitation being held in the front gardens, where there’s hundreds of high-borns cycling in and out to pay their respects to his father. A shrine was made in front of the fountain and there’s so many gifts of respect and flowers being brought that servants have to start clearing them away to make room for the new ones being left. A lot of people bring their own candles and stop to say a prayer for his father. He makes sure to thank each one of them, unable to try and force a smile onto his face as he does so. There’s only so many times he can hear people express their grievances to him before Cloud’s mind starts to go numb, his thoughts returning to the paper in his pocket.

It’s hotter than normal today, so the Prince quickly finds himself sweating into his layered, thick clothes. He doesn’t say anything about it or make any indication that he’s bothered by it. After all, he needs to be the one holding everything together most of all right now. Aerith stays by his side the entire time, speaking in for him at times when people come to pay their respects to them. Cloud is thankful for her relief, even though he sees the way her eyes are red from crying and thinks she’s doing too much for him.

Some people that approach them give the Prince odd feelings when they speak to him. It’s because even though their words are phrased in ways expression love and comfort, they all seem to stare at him with remorseless expressions. Maybe he’s reading into it too much, or the heat is just getting to his head though. He wishes he could be away from this all so badly right now. The hushed buzzing of people speaking to one another overtakes his mind, making Cloud feel like he can’t hear himself think.

At one point a councillor comes up to him while he’s speaking to someone, standing patiently with his arms behind him as the young woman gives her grievances. Cloud thanks her, telling the woman he is honoured to hear such kind words and then lowers his gaze as she walks further on to place her flowers in front of the fountain. The Prince’s head turns back to the councillor, giving the man a blank stare.

“Your Grace, the bishop will be saying a few prayers to commemorate the King and then it will be time for you to deliver your speech.” The older man says to him quietly.

Ah, his speech. Cloud briefly remembers someone telling him he would have to do that at least once today, as he is the only royal family member left to do so. The blond tenses his jaw a little bit, nodding his head in acknowledgement to the councillor.

“Thank you, councillor.” He says quietly, turning his gaze away to look at Aerith. She stands a few feet away, speaking with a woman and her child, the lady’s hand resting on the child’s head gently.

The way the brunette looks at the child makes Cloud have to look away immediately, turning back to the councillor to follow the man towards the castle. He keeps his head low as he walks, thankful to hear no one call his name as he strides up the stone steps.

“Take some time to freshen up,” the councillor says to him as they approach the doors. The older man nods at one of the servants, then the door starts opening slowly and he looks back to Cloud. “We’ll send for you when it’s time,” he murmurs and then excuses himself.

The Prince turns back to the door, walking inside and taking a big breath. A servant comes by, offering him a drink and Cloud gives the man a questioning gaze.

“It’s wine, Your Grace.” The man says, bowing his head.

The blond reaches for the cup instantly, taking a hefty gulp. He thanks the servant quietly, turning away and staring off into the grand hall. The first thing he’s felt all day and it happens to be fear; it isn’t exactly a welcoming sensation. Cloud can feel his heart beginning to thump louder and quicker, his hands beginning to sweat as well.

He ends up chugging the rest of the glass down without flinching, gasping when he lowers the cup and wipes his mouth hastily. He’s about to order the servant to bring him more, but the castle door opens and a man is calling to him, telling the Prince that the prayer is about to begin. So, Cloud inhales shakily, passing the empty cup to the servant and walks back towards the door.

Walking outside and seeing the front court filled just as it was yesterday doesn’t give the Prince any confidence right off the bat, thinking back to the way the townspeople almost rioted yesterday. Surely that couldn’t happen again with nobles, could it?

Cloud is just thankful that as he steps towards the edge of the stairs, the bishop is the one who speaks first. He addresses the crowd with a loud, yet calm voice as he begins with a prayer. Cloud notices other high borns including Aerith standing to the side of them, their heads bowed as the bishop speaks to the crowd. Cloud bows his head as the man’s words echo loudly, trying to think of what he could possibly say in tribute to his father. There are so many things; too many in fact, that he starts to get wrapped up in his own head.

The Prince starts thinking back to memories with his father over his lifetime; the good ones, the bad ones. He starts thinking of them all and when he remembers one thing, it leads to three others branching off. It’s as if his mind is replaying all of the moments in the past for him, remembering certain things his father said or the way the man made him feel. Then he thinks to the note in his pocket, resisting the urge to pull it out of his pocket and read it over again to make sure it’s real. Even though he knows it is, some part of him wants to deny its existence.

As Cloud looks up when the bishop finishes his prayer, the man steps back and gives the Prince a bow to allow him to come forward. The blond gulps and steps to the edge of the large platform, staring out at the crowd.

He’s silent for a few moments, not the slightest of clues as to what he could say in this moment that would be of any use. It’s not like he’s done much reflecting on his father until now, having forced himself to suppress anything to take care of business at the castle. Quickly reflecting on how well that worked for him, Cloud looks up to the sun shining brightly on the Islands. He closes his eyes and listens for the sounds of the ocean in the distance and faintly hears birds crying this time. The Prince knows he can’t keep quiet much longer, lest the crowd starts getting concerned.

He releases a breath, then opens his eyes and stares at the crowd. “It’s hard to know what to say right now, because I hadn’t fully processed everything until today.” Cloud admits, staring straight forward and not meeting anyone’s eyes in the crowd.

There’s another silence before the blond speaks again. “I’m still not sure what to say. My father was far from kind at times.” Cloud says boldly, hearing gasps in the crowd and ignoring them. “As his son, I experienced this first hand.”

He takes another quiet breath, raising his head and feeling his voice become louder.

“But looking back on my father- my King, all he ever wanted in life was peace.” The Prince says, staring at the bright skies again. “Peace for the Islanders and the people of Eclipsis. Peace among our people. For you and me,” he muses.

“That’s all he ever cared about.” Cloud repeats himself, narrowing his eyes at the bright sun.

How can this be peace right now? How can he feel peace knowing that the two remaining survivors of the royal family were in the hands of a foreign country and its traitorous King?

“Peace…” Cloud says quietly, almost as if he’s in a daze.

Was this peace? Pretending like everything is okay and trying to convince his people of the same so that they’re coated in a blanket of lies?

The Prince blinks out of his daze, becoming aware of his hesitance. He takes a breath to steady himself as he speaks. “My father was a good man.” He corrects himself, looking down. “An even greater King. May his soul rest now.” The Prince finishes.

He sees the people of the crowd bow their heads in recognition, echoing his last sentence in respect. Cloud stares at the people blankly, his eyes trailing over the crowd for another moment before stepping backwards to allow the bishop to come forward again.

It’s challenging to stand through, but within the hour things start to wrap up and the Prince could not be more thankful. As the people start clearing out from the front courts Cloud’s eyes scan over them, his mind still full of haziness. All he wants to do is forget about this all, imagining himself drinking wine until he can no longer stand, but he knows he cannot do that with the position he is currently in.

Cloud calls to a servant as he enters the castle again, catching the young maid’s attention.

“Have the council assembled immediately,” the Prince orders, beginning to walk towards the west wing. “And the head of the Royal Guard.”

* * *

“Are we even sure this message is from King Xehanort? Have we double checked the seal?”

Cloud stares out the window of the council room as the councillors drone on around him. Yen Sid and Aeleus are seated at the table as well, the two men having been silent throughout the conversation thus far. Cloud’s mind seems to be lagging behind, feeling like he’s unable to give much concern to the councillor’s words. The Prince’s elbow is resting on the table, supporting his chin as he inhales quietly. He releases the breath, letting his gaze trail downwards to the opened scroll sitting atop of the table in front of him.

_A foolish end to a foolish King._

He has to look away from it after a few seconds because Cloud can feel his blood starting to boil the longer he stares.

“We should send another message to Xehanort, asking him to send a messenger to explain this.” He hears a councillor say.

The Prince lowers his hand, shifting himself in his seat so he can lean back and stare at the man who just spoke.

“Are you really that stupid?” Cloud asks quietly, his face passive.

The man’s expression becomes shocked, clearly not having expected such a question. There’s a silence before the same counsellor speaks up again. “You Grace?” He asks unsurely.

“Is there something about this message you fail to understand?” The Prince follows up, his eyes glancing down to the piece of paper. “Because to me, this message is rather clear.”

“Your Grace, we are merely curious as to the nature of this message.” One of them reasons calmly. “King Xehanort has never sent one like this before.”

Cloud ignores the man, focusing his attention on Yen Sid. “I want Merlin’s autopsy report brought to me immediately after we have finished here.” The blond commands.

The older man bows his head, closing his eyes as he does so. “Of course, Your Grace.”

“Merlin confirmed that the death was unexpected, Your Grace.” A councillor adds in.

Cloud reaches for his wine chalice, taking a gulp slowly and then setting the cup on the table gently before speaking. “Yes, rather unexpected indeed. Perhaps that’s exactly what Xehanort intended.” The blond says calmly.

“Please, Your Grace. Give the King an opportunity to speak on his actions.” A councillor suggests again, his voice pleading.

Cloud stares at the man after he’s done speaking, then brings a hand to his mouth in thought. He looks to the chandelier burning above the table, the numerous candles giving off a bright glow as they stack together. After a moment’s silence, the Prince lowers his hand and meets the councillor’s eyes again.

“Very well. I will allow him to.” Cloud says, his voice calm. The councillors seem to be pleased, some nodding their heads at him after he speaks.

“After I’ve sailed to his castle with my army, a fleet of ships and received a message of surrender.” The Prince adds with an edge to his tone, narrowing his eyes sharply.

Silence envelops the room after the blond has spoken, but Cloud can easily read the atmosphere in the room judging by the look of shock on pretty much everyone’s face.

The Prince looks to Aeleus next. “How many men do I have at the moment?” He questions.

“Your Grace-“ one of the councillors cuts in, but is halted by the Prince’s hand being held up to silence him. The man grits his teeth, looking down in his lap.

“Just over ten thousand, Your Grace.” Aeleus answers, his voice low.

Cloud nods to himself, looking up at the ceiling again. “And how many of them could I take with me to Eclipsis?”

“With our current number of ships, probably about four or five thousand.” The knight responds.

“That will be sufficient enough.” The Prince muses.

One of the councillors interrupts them, his voice panicked. “Your Grace, you are the last member of the family here in the castle! You cannot simply abandon it.”

“I’m not abandoning it,” Cloud quips back. “I’m defending it from those who would destroy it.”

“Your Grace, please take a moment to reconsider. What about your father? What about the treaty?” A different councillor asks him in a rush.

Cloud almost laughs in the man’s face, wondering how much more ridiculous this whole situation could get. “My father is _dead_ , councillor. At the hands of the man who swore to uphold the treaty.”

His chair scrapes against the ground as the Prince rises, resting his hands flat against the table as he gives the councillors a challenging look. “King Xehanort sent this message to taunt me. If he wants a reminder of what happened ninety-two years ago when they wronged us, then I will give it to him.” Cloud bites out, annunciating his words harshly as they leave his mouth. His anger has completely spiked, all of the anxieties that used to be there having turned to rage inside of him. There will be no more of this; no more of him sitting around the castle idly while things turn to ashes around him.

Cloud stares at the councillors around the table, his expression daring any one of them to speak out against him in protest. None of them do.

“In fact,” the Prince adds, his voice sounding less angry but still threatening nonetheless. “I will make it more memorable than last time.”

* * *

As Cloud walks from the councillor’s room into the hallway, he begins travelling towards the throne room. Some guards are present when he arrives and bow to him as he passes. The blond says nothing, continuing to walk towards the back of the room. He can’t bring himself to stare at the empty throne as he passes it, finding it difficult to picture himself sitting there. It wouldn’t be long now until he did.

Cloud continues in his trek, walking through the castle until he stands in front of a large wooden door. The Prince’s hand comes to rest on the handle, pausing for a second to give himself a moment to breath before he turns it with a click. The door opens and he pushes it open, taking a step inside and closing it behind him.

He turns back to face the room slowly, taking in the large area. It’s exactly as Cloud remembered it to be, only having seen the room a handful of times when he was a child. He has a few memories of him and his mother having afternoon naps in the bed together. When his eyes meet the corner of the room and see the harp lying there, he thinks of when she used to play music for him and the twins.

The fond memories circle his mind, but as Cloud walks around the room all he seems to feel is a hollowness. There’s no life left in this room. No happiness, no joy, no love. Nothing of what he remembers so long ago. Cloud turns around and his eye is caught by a painting on the wall across from the bed. He walks towards it, pausing a few feet away to admire the work.

It's a painting of his mother. It must have been created shortly after she died. The artist who did it captured all well but her eyes. Cloud thinks they didn’t quite get them right; he remembers them being bluer than the way they are in the portrait. Although he has to admit, it’s a beautiful painting.

“Much too beautiful to be sitting in this room,” Cloud murmurs to himself, stepping closer to lightly touch the canvas. He reaches his arms up and grips the edges of it and lifts gently, removing it from the wall. As he pulls it closer to himself, the sound of something drops softly to the ground. Cloud looks down in confusion, setting the painting down nearby and locating the small scroll that fell. He picks it up, unravelling it smoothly and then freezes when he sees that it’s addressed to his mother.

“Father’s writing…” He murmurs to himself, recognizing the script. It’s definitely nothing Cloud should be reading, as it clearly wasn’t written for him and yet his eyes begin to scan over the paper.

_My love, words cannot express my sorrow for what I have done to you. I swore to you I would never place you into harms way after the research and yet, here I live failing you once again._

_I didn’t take their words seriously. I thought they were merely fools who spoke lies to make me fearful. I should have been fearful._

_It doesn’t matter though. My actions have left my people without a Queen, my sons without a mother and myself without a wife._

_The last thing I can do with my life is to protect my children. With the air that I breathe, I will keep them safe from harms way. From the men that would do us harm. The men sworn to serve me._

Cloud lowers the paper in his hands slowly, staring at the painting of his mother leaning against a vanity with a stern expression as he swallows thickly. He can feel his breathing starting to pick up in fear, his heart pounding fiercely inside of his chest. He’s left with utter silence surrounding him, having no idea how to react to all of this. Then suddenly, the blond flinches when he hears a swift knowing coming from the other side of the door.

He stuffs the note into his pockets, but before he can respond the door to his father’s room opens and reveals one of the councillors. The man stares at Cloud with a blank expression, taking a step forward into the room with his hands folded in front of him.

“What is the meaning of this?” The Prince asks harshly, glaring at the older man for his impudence.

The councillor’s face remains passive as he speaks. “Ah, such a wonderful painting of your mother, Your Grace. I must say, there are few who come close to matching her beauty.” He says as he stares at the painting on the ground.

Cloud’s jaw tenses at the man and he turns to face him completely. “I asked you a question, councillor.” He reminds the man with a blunt tone.

“Ah, yes. I suppose I should know by now that you are not one for small talk, Prince Cloud.” The councillor responds easily. He steps into the room further, closing the door behind him. When Cloud tenses up at the action, the man holds his hands up in resignation.

“I’ve come to advise you against your plans mentioned earlier,” the councillor says easily.

The Prince is silent for a moment, leveling his gaze with the man. “I have already given the order. I do not need further advising.”

“Oh, but I think you do, Your Grace.” The councillor says, folding his arms into the sleeves of his robes. “You see, I’m afraid waging a war with Eclipsis is something that is far out of your concept of understanding.”

Cloud’s anger is brimming once more, glaring at the older man. “So far your advice feels more like an insult to my knowledge.”

The councillor starts walking around the room slowly, his eyes glancing at the various items in his father’s room. “Ah, far from it, Your Grace. You see, it is your knowledge that worries me.” He explains, stopping in front of a bookcase and eyeing the numerous texts.

Cloud’s shoulders are tense as he watches the man continuing to walk and waits for him to continue. “There are certain things that you do not know about Eclipsis. Details that have been kept hidden from you, your brothers, and everyone on this Island.” The man explains.

The Prince clenches his fists at his side experimentally, watching the man stop close in front of the painting of his mother. Then the councillor turns to Cloud, his eyes sharp.

“Details that would…cause trouble if you found out. So perhaps you’d like to withdraw your order and stay here in the castle where you belong.” The man finishes.

The Prince keeps himself still even though he’s practically shaking from anger. “I thank you for your advice, however my order shall remain the same.” He grits out lowly.

The councillor stares at him with a bored expression before turning to glance at the painting of his mother. “Ah, such a shame to hear. And here I hoped you would come to your senses with a little more patience.”

“If you keep speaking to me councillor, I will make sure you sleep in the floors of the dungeon for the next three days.” Cloud warns bitterly.

The man releases a breath of amusement, his eyes still fixated on the painting. “A truly beautiful woman indeed. A pity that the gods would punish her with a cruel fate.”

Cloud starts walking towards his door, approaching it and grabbing the handle to open and yell for a guard.

“It would be such a shame if the same thing were to happen to your betrothed, Prince Cloud.” The councillor’s voice calls to him as the blond twists the door handle with a click. He freezes in his space, turning to look at the councillor with a stern gaze.

Finally, the man turns around to stare at Cloud. “Or perhaps it wouldn’t bother you that much,” the councillor continues. “No, perhaps if it were that young knight who is always by your side…”

The Prince’s chest become tight in realization, his eyes widening at the councillor. The man’s mouth curls up into a small smirk, his expression full of arrogance. “Oh, you thought we didn’t know? There isn’t much that goes on in the castle that we don’t know about.”

Cloud is silent, his breathing laboured and forced. His chest is tight with a sudden explosion of fear and doubt, unable to do anything other than glare at the councillor.

“Perhaps I can attempt one last time to change your mind if I tell you a story, Your Grace. It may persuade you after all.” The councillor says, turning to walk towards a window in the room. The man stares out at the dark sky as he starts to speak.

“You see, it all began after the great war. After Eclipsis surrendered their armies to the Islanders, the King decided that it only be fair for them to pay back the cost of our soldiers through payment. The council at the time however, had different ideas. Ideas that would come to change the Islands forever, making the kingdom rich and prosperous. Having all of the resources we would ever need to see that our people lived great lives.

“We attempted to persuade the King into adopting our plans, but to no avail. After his death, the next in line, your grandfather, was a perfect puppet to execute these plans. He was a power-hungry fool; one who cared about little other than having all of the wealth and power he could imagine. That’s when our Islands started to become what they are today- a beautiful nation. A nation like no other.

“It wasn’t until your father’s reign that issues began to arise. You see, your father was much too sympathetic to the people of Eclipsis. After learning of the sanctions put in place that allows us to live the way we do, he claimed our practices were inhumane. That we were exploiting the people for our own benefit, making them work to provide us with food and water. Such a bleeding heart that man was…” The councillor trails off.

He turns to look at Cloud again, raising an eyebrow challengingly. “We weren’t about to let our nation fall at the hands of a King who couldn’t accept the new reality. He wanted to remove the sanctions and issue a new treaty- one that would require the Islands to provide restitution to Eclipsis for the years of resources given to us.”

“No, we couldn’t let your father do that. So- we did what we needed to. We advised him much like I’m doing right now, to stand down and let us deal with Eclipsis. Unfortunately, Ansem did not take our advice seriously…” He trails off again, turning to face the painting of Cloud’s mother.

“He imprisoned some of the councillors and ordered for a fleet of ships to sail to Eclipsis. A day later, your mother fell unexpectedly ill…”

The councillor continues. “The poor thing. I even saw her once before she died. She was nothing but a lifeless skeleton at that point and it all could have been avoided. If only your father had just listened. He did after that, though. It only took the cost of his beloved’s passing for him to realize that he may wear the crown, but the kingdom belongs to us.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that with you, Prince Cloud.” The councillor reasons, his tone patronizing. “I would hate for the people to find out their future King has been engaging in such wicked acts with another man. You do know what happens the men accused of such crimes?” He asks rhetorically.

The councillor starts to approach Cloud, he steps light. “My, I can picture the people’s reactions now. Especially with the soon-to-be-King they distrust already.”

The blond inhales sharply as the man stops in front of him, clenching his fists again. “So, I ask you again Your Grace. Will you withdraw your order?” The councillor asks him.

The Prince is silent for a few moments, glaring into the eyes of this mad man with all he can muster, but eventually looks down to the side and gives a single nod of his head.

“A wise decision.” The man murmurs simply. Both men turns their heads towards the door when a knocking comes from behind it. Cloud looks at the councillor who gives him a nod, so the blond commands the person to enter.

His stomach drops when he sees that it’s Leon, standing in the doorway and giving the two men a surprised expression. He bows his head immediately after. “Your Grace, My Lord,” he says, regarding the two.

“Ah, excuse me then. I shall be taking my leave. Do take care, Prince Cloud.” The councillor says with a smile; one that makes the blond nearly grab the man by the collar and shove him up against the wall. Instead he says nothing, keeping his eyes low as the councillor exits the room, walking by Leon without a word.

When the man is far away, the knight steps into the room to speak quietly to Cloud. “I just got word that you’ve ordered the army to assemble,” he explains quickly, his voice surprised.

The Prince can’t seem to meet Leon’s eyes, clearing his throat quietly and shaking his head. “Not anymore. I changed my mind after speaking with the councillors.” He responds.

Leon is silent after he speaks, but Cloud still doesn’t look at the knight. “Cloud? You don’t sound well.”

The Prince’s skin feels like it’s on fire, his clothing feeling hot and heavy. His chest is tight, ribs constricting so tight he isn’t sure if he’s really breathing or not.

“It’s been a long day,” the Prince responds simply, his voice quiet.

He sees Leon nodding to himself in his peripheral. “Of course, forgive me. I should have realized that.”

Cloud just shakes his head back and forth gently, turning to walk out of the room. “It’s quite alright. I’m going to my quarters for the remainder of the night.” He explains, walking out of the room without any further words to the knight. He doesn’t look back when Leon calls his name quietly, the brunet’s voice sounding slightly concerned. Cloud can’t look back- he knows he’ll do something stupid if he does.

_I need to protect him. From the men that would do us harm. The men sworn to serve me._


	16. Rally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!! Hope you are doing well as always, and not much else to say other than there's some violence in this chapter and enjoy!

It’s just past sunset when the trio arrives to a small stable, Roxas sighing in appreciation when he sees the lights from the building off in the distance. The Prince is weary from their travels all day, having felt like they crossed great distances in the time spent riding. It’s also the first day they’ve been in Eclipsis that hasn’t resulted in some kind of a hindrance. Roxas thanks the gods for having no one try to ambush or attack them today. It’s like now the Prince has fully understood what Axel meant when he said that it would be wishful thinking to assume their travels would be boring. While the things they have encountered over the past days have been far from pleasant, Roxas can’t deny that the redhead was correct in some sense; travelling across this country has been far from boring.

Riku is the first to speak when they stop in front of the building, lowering from his horse with a swift movement. “I’ll take the horses in for the night.” He offers.

The Prince nods at the knight, lowering himself from his horse as well and gathering his belongings. He doesn’t say a word as he begins walking towards the building, not turning to see if Axel is following behind him. There’s still a thick tension between them from their earlier argument, Roxas feeling rather off put by the whole situation. At the beginning of the day things were more than fine between them and now he’s still rather frustrated with the man.

He shakes his head to himself, reminding him that this shouldn’t even be what he’s focused on. Even though Roxas knows it’s still going to sit in the back of his mind at all times, he forces past it at the moment as he opens the door to the stable. There are a few people sitting around the tables, giving the blond a curious glance as he walks in. The man who looks to be the owner glances at him, watching Roxas approach his wooden desk.

“Looking for a place to rest tonight?” The man asks him, his voice low and gruff.

The Prince nods his head. “Please.” He replies simply. “Do you have enough room for three?”

“Yes. Three rooms?” The man clarifies.

Roxas pauses, thinking to the conversation he had earlier with Axel at the falls. He catches himself quickly though, nodding. After everything is paid for, the Prince takes his key and begins walking to his room. He asks the innkeeper to give Axel and Riku their keys when they come inside, giving a brief description of the two after he pays the man. Eager to sit down and rest, the Prince locates his room easily and immediately walks towards his bed, dropping the bag to the ground and falling onto the mattress.

He’s disappointed to quickly learn that this bed is far from comfortable, the material feeling stiff below him. Roxas lets out a low groan, rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes lazily and sitting up.

“This is almost as bad as the ground…” The Prince complains quietly, beginning to unlace his boots with haphazard movements. After removing them from his feet, Roxas works to remove his shirt and tosses it somewhere in the room. His belt comes off next, lying it down next to his bed with his bag. Roxas lets out a lengthy exhale, letting his gaze to the small oil lamp burning atop the night table. He stares at the glowing light for a few seconds before dimming it and rolling onto his side in an attempt to get comfortable in the bed. It does nothing to help.

He spends a couple more minutes shuffling his positions and rolling onto various sides only to end up lying on his back, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring up at the dark ceiling. It doesn’t seem likely that he’s going to fall asleep very easily tonight. With that thought in mind, the blond sits up on the edge of the bed and reaches for his bag on the ground. He grabs the tome he bought earlier today, deciding that he would at least get some more reading done if he was going to be awake.

Roxas still isn’t sure what kind of a tome it is, even though he spent hours of the day slowly reading through its pages. He’s still not that far into the text, having to read this particular book a lot slower than others. There are certain phrases or words that Roxas doesn’t recognize, spending long moments to try and piece it all together.

All he seems to be able to decipher so far is that this tome doesn’t appear to be something used as offensive magic. A lot of the lines of script follow similar styles like the other tomes he’s read prior to this, but the types of magic it describes is what differs. A lot of these lines speak to nature and the gift of life. It’s almost as if this is a book of ballads and poems rather than a spell book. The lady who sold it to him could have just been lying to him to try and sell it, but she seemed very genuine when speaking to him and he’s still not completely sure of anything.

Roxas isn’t too bothered either way, intrigued with reading such a historic piece of text. It’s clear to him that this book is many years old, having lived through generations upon generations. Even if it isn’t actually a powerful tome, the blond is happy to have it here with him as he lies in this god-awful bed. It’s a good distraction for a long time.

Eventually, Roxas gets to a point where his eyelids are shutting longer each time he blinks and he’s yawning a lot more. Without realizing, he passes out on top of the tome, resting his head on its pages. It feels like he’s been asleep for two seconds before he’s awoken to knocking on his door. He stays still for a moment as it stops, just hoping that whoever it was would take the hint and leave him be. It’s the middle of the night for gods sake.

To no avail, the knocking picks up again with a little more force and Roxas sits up sleepily, prying the pages of the spell book from his face with a small sound of annoyance. The oil lamp next to his bed has gone out, so he must have been asleep for a couple of hours. He lights it again with his fire tome quickly, standing up and stumbling sleepily towards the door. Roxas grabs the handle and jerks it open roughly.

The blond’s tired expression become surprised when he sees Axel standing on the other side, the redhead standing still and staring at Roxas intently as soon as the door opens.

“Axel?” He asks quietly, stifling back a yawn.

The redhead doesn’t say anything in response, staying still and letting his gaze fall to the Prince’s bare chest. Roxas is about to tell him to either say something or get out of here so he can go back to sleep, but Axel finally reacts and crosses the distance between them with a stride, bringing both of his hands to the Prince’s jaw and kissing him hard.

Roxas’ eyes widen in surprise and he immediately becomes aware of the scent of alcohol on Axel’s lips, tasting the liquor on the man’s mouth. He lets out a sound when the redhead moves to deepen the kiss, then pulls his head back to break it and stare at the redhead with a flustered expression.

The initial shock wears off quickly and the blond frowns. “If you woke me up just to kiss me, I’ll take great pleasure in setting you aflame.” Roxas grits out, narrowing his eyes at Axel.

The redhead doesn’t seem intimidated, leaning himself closer to the blond again. “I can do much more than kiss you if you’d like.” He offers, curling the side of his mouth up playfully and running his thumb along the Prince’s jaw.

Roxas resists the urge to lean into the man again at his persuasive words, having to break eye contact from the redhead. “You’re drunk,” he points out simply.

“So? I kiss you when I’m sober, why can’t I kiss you when I’m drunk?” Axel asks with a bit of a slur.

Roxas doesn’t really have much of a response to that, still averting his eyes. 

“What’sa matter with you?” The redhead asks suddenly.

The Prince closes his eyes, trying to be patient as Axel’s hands force him to look at the older man. He grits his teeth, letting out a slow breath.

“Open your eyes,” the redhead demands.

Roxas does without much resistance, ignoring how much it annoys him that he lets himself surrender so easily to the man. Axel’s eyes are dark, the blond making out the dark green haze through the faint light coming from the hallway. He feels his heartbeat picking up at the way Axel is staring at him right now, almost wanting to snap at the redhead and tell him to get off.

“You’re staring at me like you’re not sure if you should attack or run far, far away.” Axel murmurs to him.

Roxas swallows thickly, trying to turn his face to look away again only to have the redhead’s grip tighten. He pauses for a moment, then looks to Axel in a passive manner.

“I don’t like the stupid things you say,” he murmurs.

The redhead smiles just a tiny bit. “You don’t like that I’m right.”

“I don’t.” Roxas agrees immediately. He almost bites his tongue after saying it. There’s a hush of silence between them until Axel speaks up again.

“You’re scared to trust me.” He comments bluntly, his hold on the Prince’s face loosening.

The blond’s eyes widen at his words, feeling taken aback for a few moments. As he stares into Axel’s eyes that look much more alert of what’s going on around them, it feels like he’s being scrutinized under the man’s gaze. There’s a bunch of different things darting across his mind at the moment and he doesn’t know how to say any of them, his lips remaining closed and his voice silent. After a few more moments, the Prince’s expression becomes guarded and Roxas grabs Axel’s wrists, pulling his hands away from his face.

“You need to leave and go to sleep,” the blond mutters lowly as he steps back.

Axel must either be very drunk or does not care about the apparent warning in the Prince’s tone, stepping forward. “What?” He asks in disappointment.

Roxas takes another step back, his eyes narrowing at the redhead. “You heard me. Get out,” he emphasizes, nodding his head towards the door frame.

Axel stares at him seriously for a second, his demeanor appearing sober long enough for Roxas to catch it. Then he looks away, shaking his head.

“No.” Axel says stubbornly.

The blond grits his teeth, clenching his fists experimentally. “Axel, you’re drunk and a complete idiot if you think I want to so much as look at you anymore.”

“I know when you’re lying,” Axel retorts, turning to the door and closing it gently behind him with a click. “Even when I’m a drunk idiot.” He emphasizes.

“I’m not lying you big oaf! I want you _out_.” Roxas hisses, backing up a little bit more.

The redhead begins chuckling, his head rolling to the side as he does it. “You have the least threatening insults I’ve ever heard.” He explains, staring at the Prince with amusement in his eyes.

Roxas glances down at his bag of tomes, picking one of them up. Axel gives him a bewildered look, but recovers after a few seconds.

“You’re not going to risk damaging this place with your magic.” The redhead challenges, furrowing his eyebrows.

Roxas and Axel stare at each other in silence, both of them sizing each other up to see if the blond would indeed test that theory. Finally Roxas breaks eye contact first in resignation, rolling his eyes.

“I knew you wouldn’t- hey!” Axel burst out, attempting to shield his face from the tome that is thrown in his direction. The man lets out a grunt as the thick book hits him roughly, then falls to the ground.

Roxas doesn’t miss a beat. “I said leave! Why don’t you listen to me?!” He protests.

“What more do I gotta do Roxas?!” Axel replies stubbornly, matching his outrage.

The way the redhead speaks makes the Prince pause, his expression becoming uncertain as Axel continues and the man steps slowly towards him as he speaks.

“I’ve taken you across my country while bound and blinded, stopped Riku from getting cut down, _killed_ for you and you still don’t trust me?” He asks with a strain in his voice.

Roxas winces at the last point and Axel must have noticed because he stops himself. “Don’t like that, do you? Well, it happened Roxas. I killed those men in the forest for you and the ones on the bridge trying to murder you.” The redhead bites out, his eyes cold.

Roxas feels even more guilty, looking away. “So, what else do I have to do!?” Axel asks exasperatedly, leaning down just inches away from the blond.

The Prince gulps, taking deep breaths and then finally looks the redhead in the eyes. He hates the way his chest tightens as their eyes meet, that stupid feeling Roxas gets when he looks at Axel. He hates that underneath the longing and the want for the redhead, the Prince knows that it’s pointless for him to continue fooling around with Axel. Roxas knows that soon enough this journey is going to come to an end. What lies ahead of him is uncertain, but all the blond knows right now is that he should be focused on Sora. That’s the reason he’s where he is now. That’s his number one priority right now.

“Get my brother back safely,” Roxas finally murmurs, turning away. There’s a long silence following his words, neither of them uttering a sound. Eventually, Roxas hears the redhead’s footsteps trailing to the door and the soft click behind him. It’s only then that the Prince lies back down again, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes like he did earlier and letting out a defeated exhale.

* * *

Ienzo is in the middle of transcribing the most recent report when the door to the lab slams open with a loud bang. It causes him to accidently knock over the small cup of ink next to him, spilling it all over the report. As he turns to give the loud intruder a cold stare, his eyes widen when he sees two guards carrying a body into the room followed by his superior.

It takes Ienzo a second, but when he realizes who the men are carrying he stands up sharply from his seat, backing away and staring in fear as Vexen orders them to lay the body on the examination table. Ienzo watches with a frightened curiosity as the boy’s body twitches every couple of seconds and he lets out laboured breaths. His arms are still chained behind him and in the light of the room Ienzo sees all of the wounds covering his body in greater detail than before.

“Ienzo, good you’re here.” His superior finally addresses him, not looking at the student as he turns to start preparing something on the far side of the room.

Ienzo jerks his head away from Sora, looking to Vexen and swallowing thickly. “Yes, My Lord?” He asks, making sure his voice sounds steady.

“Have your staff ready, we may need your healing abilities momentarily.” The man orders, his back facing Ienzo as his hands move quickly.

The student spares a quick glance at Sora again, then walks over to the opposite side of the room with his head low to grab his staff as he’s told. He pauses in front of it hesitantly.

“My Lord, I thought I wasn’t supposed to know anything about this project.” Ienzo chimes in quietly as he grasps the staff lightly, raising in from its stand and then the student turns around sharply when he hears a small whimper from Sora. He sees Vexen still working on one of the tables facing the wall; opening his tome and beginning the chant a spell quietly to himself. Ienzo watches the magic encapsulate the man for a moment, before it concentrates into a densely packed fragment- almost looking like a black shard as he finishes rehearsing the spell.

The student makes sure to avert his eyes from the examination table, unable to look at the boy. Being here with Sora in the room brings about a deep-set unease within him and he’s not sure why, but he knows he wants to be far away from this room at the moment.

Vexen waves a hand absentmindedly as he closes the tome. “I’m afraid there’s no time left to be so restrictive with this project.” He explains, picking up the shard and examining it close to his face. It’s about four or five inches in length, both ends of it jagging into a point. “We need results and we need them immediately.”

Ienzo doesn’t say anything else, staring hesitantly at Vexen and then lowering his eyes to the ground.

“Come along then,” the blond-haired man orders him, gesturing for Ienzo to approach the examination table. The blue-haired teen steps forward cautiously, pausing at the head of the table with his staff in his hands. He glances to the two guards standing on either side of Sora, their faces stoic and set on the boy. Vexen walks around the table so he’s on the left side of Sora, then pauses next to him.

He sees the way Sora tenses up, his chains rattling slightly as he flinches when Vexen lays his fingers along the teen’s throat. His superior pauses for a moment, counting the brunet’s pulse for about half a minute.

“P-please,” Sora begs, his voice shaky like he’s been crying. “Please don’t.”

Ienzo’s chest feels like it’s starting to clamp on itself, staring at the brunet with an ever-growing uncertainty.

Vexen pulls his hand from the teen’s neck, staring down at him with a remorseless expression. Within the next moment, his superior acts quickly and brings his hand holding the shard up. In a swift motion, he plunges it into Sora’s chest and Ienzo winces at the cracking sound he hears, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth. He hears a strained cry come from Sora, the sound soft and breathless as if he is unable to draw breath.

Ienzo forces himself to look at the brunet when Vexen yells his name sternly. “Stay focused!” He orders icily. “On my command you will begin healing him.”

The blue-haired teen takes a shaky breath as he watches the way Sora’s chest starts convulsing, his eyes focused on the black shard still sticking out of his chest. There’s already blood saturating his clothes where Vexen impaled him, the dark substance pooling. Ienzo isn’t sure he’s breathing at the moment, watching with horror as the brunet starts moaning quietly.

“No…no!” Sora cries. “Stop! It hurts!”

The blue-haired teen almost raises his staff to start healing Sora even though his superior hasn’t given the order. His eyes dart to Vexen when the man reaches his hand atop the boy’s chest, resting his hand on the shard and pushing it in deeper. Ienzo hisses through his teeth quietly as Sora cries out loudly, his body jerking at the action. _Stop!_ He wants to cry out. _You’re going to kill him!_

The brunet falls limp seconds later and Ienzo freezes, staring at the boy’s still body and fearing that Vexen did just kill him. The blond man hasn’t even reacted to any of his action, simply lifting his hand from the shard and folding his arms behind his back to study Sora. His green eyes are narrowed at the boy, staring at him and waiting like the brunet would do something any second now.

In the next moment Sora does though, gritting his teeth together. He lets out a strangled cry, one that nearly causes Ienzo to drop his staff and cover his ears from how loud it is. It sends a chill down his spine and Ienzo gasps sharply when he hears a snapping of metal, then Sora’s arm frees itself and he holds his arm up to Vexen. A rod of light tainted with black and purple wisps shoots from his palm, blasting at Vexen and sending the man forcefully backwards. The man impacts with the stone wall in a loud bang, knocking him unconsciousness immediately.

As Ienzo steps back quickly in fear, the two guards react and start working to detain him. They grab his wrists and pin him down forcefully, then Ienzo hears Sora screaming and thrashing about in an attempt to break free. The guards manage to get him held down, but the brunet continues to struggle as he lets out yells and vicious growls like a beast. Ienzo is completely frozen in place, unable to react or do anything of use.

One of the guards pulls his arm back to strike Sora in the face to subdue him, but it just makes the brunet scream louder. It’s like a new surge of strength comes from within and the brunet wrangles a hand free, reaching it up to the guard’s neck and grabbing it tightly. Ienzo sees the way the man’s eyes widen and then blood starts dripping from where Sora has his grip on the guard, his nails piercing the skin. The man releases his grip on Sora, clawing at the brunet’s hands to try and pry them from his neck. A moment later Ienzo cries out quietly when he sees Sora let the man go and he stumbles backwards, knocking over various test tubes and glass containers. The guard falls to the ground as he holds his neck, Ienzo seeing dark purple liquid mixed in with the man’s blood pouring from the wound.

With his one side now free, Sora clenches his fist tightly for a moment as the other guard lets go of him to sheathe his sword. When the brunet opens his hand, there’s a small ball of light hovering in his palm. It looks like the previous magic he just cast; its contents filled with a purple haze. Sora turns to the other man raising his sword to attack and thrusts it into the center of his chest. The guard freezes in place with a sharp gasp, taking a step back in hesitance. He looks down at where the magic was inserted, not noticing any change within him. It catches up to him seconds later though, the man going still and his eyes widening in shock. Ienzo brings an arm up to shield his face as a ball of light explodes from within the guard.

He shakily lowers his arm moments later when silence follows, staring with eyes full of fear and a trembling body at the horrific scene around him. Then Sora turns his attention towards Ienzo, his blindfold still tied around his eyes. The brunet reaches a hand carelessly behind his head, ripping the material off with ease to reveal bright golden eyes gleaming at Ienzo.

Sora grits his teeth, glaring at Ienzo and then starting to shakily lower himself from the examination table. He falls to his knees, raising a hand to try and grasp the dark shard still sticking from his chest. As soon as his fingers touch it, Sora lets out a howl of pain and then a low growl erupts from him again. He head is tilted back and he falls silent suddenly, like he’s in a daze.

Ienzo thinks this is the best opportunity he is going to get for escape to get help, so he starts walking slowly around the other side of the table. He nearly gets sick when he sees the remaining corpse from the last man who was killed, his blood and pieces of organs splattered amongst the room. Ienzo keeps a shaking hand over his mouth as he treads lightly, sparing a glance towards Sora. He’s not sure if his mind is playing tricks on him, but it looks like there’s black smoke starting to radiate from his body.

With his attention on the brunet, Ienzo misses the broken glass from one of the shattered test tubes in front of him and freezes when it cracks from underneath him. He swallows thickly, seeing Sora’s head start to lower and stare at him with a hypnotic daze. The brunet’s eyes are practically glowing yellow now, his pupils gone.

Ienzo wastes no further time, breaking out into a sprint towards the door. He hears Sora let out a strangled cry from behind him and the brunet must be making a dash towards him from the shuffling noises he hears. As his hand wraps around the handle, Ienzo feels a piercing pain rip through his shoulder and cries out loudly. He grabs his staff with two hands and swings it behind his shoulder forcefully. It makes contact with Sora’s head and the brunet stumbles back, taking unsteady steps in an attempt to regain his balance. Ienzo presses a hand to the wound, wincing as he applies pressure to it to feel the severity of it.  

Sora looks up to him again, blood dripping from his chin. He bares his teeth and sees the two large fangs flashing at him, covered in his blood. When did that happen?

He doesn’t have time to think on it as the brunet makes another dash towards him, leaping at Ienzo like a predator hunting its prey. He ducks out of the way to dodge the attack, running around the examination table to put distance between them. Sora brings a hand up and Ienzo reacts quickly, throwing himself to the ground as magic discharges from his hands. It booms against the stone wall behind him and the blue-haired teen grits his teeth in fear, not knowing what he could possibly do to survive this.

Sora lets out a growl again and Ienzo hears him shuffling around the room. The blue-haired teen stands up and his eyes widen when he sees Sora crouching atop of the table and staring at him. As he attempts to take a hesitant step backwards, the brunet roars loudly and an arrow of light unloads from in front of him, shooting at Ienzo and stabbing him in the abdomen. The blue-haired teen lets out a cry, dropping the staff to the ground with and pressing a hand to the ever-increasingly bloody area. In the next moment Sora is in the air, pouncing at Ienzo and tackling him to the ground harshly.

As the student struggles to fight Sora off even as he screams through the pain, the brunet leans his head down close to Ienzo and hisses at him ferociously. “Get…it out,” he grits out.

The blue-haired teen furrows his eyebrows as they continue to grapple, gritting his teeth as Sora starts to overpower him and starts snaking his hand around Ienzo’s throat.

“Get it out!” The teen cries to him, looking as if he’s trying to resist his actions.

Ienzo glances down at the shard poking out of his chest, not thinking twice and throwing his weight to the side. He manages to take Sora off guard, throwing the teen off of him and taking a moment to catch his breath. As Ienzo reaches for the shard in his chest, Sora reacts swiftly and his hand shoots up to grab the student by the neck again, halting his actions.

The crushing force on his windpipe makes him wheeze, taken aback by his strength. Then Sora has him flipped onto his back again and keeps his hand in place around Ienzo’s throat as he starts to choke. The brunet leans down to him, the lifeless golden eyes making Ienzo’s widen with fear as he tries to resist the teen. When Sora is just inches away and baring his teeth again, the blue-haired teen breathes shallowly and lets one of his hands pat around the ground gently. He wraps his hand around a piece of glass when he feels it, bringing the shard up to stab Sora in the side in a last attempt to do anything.

The teen lets out a cry, his grip on Ienzo’s neck falling as he recoils slightly in pain. The student starts wheezing after regaining the ability to breathe, but forces himself to push through the pain and sits up. He reaches forward to grab the shard lodged in Sora’s chest tightly. He grits his teeth as the teen screeches again, pulling it out with a swift movement and watches as the brunet becomes still. In the next moment, Sora’s eyes widen and the yellow dissipates from them almost immediately, returning to a bright blue. The brunet falls forward on top of Ienzo, sending them to the ground roughly and Sora’s head rests face down right next to the blue-haired teen.

All Ienzo can do in that moment is stare at the stone ceilings as he wheezes and coughs, attempting to catch his breath while he starts to realize that he’s losing lots of blood from his wounds. With nearly all of his energy drained, Ienzo raises shaky arms to shuffle Sora off from on top of him and rolls the brunet onto his back. The student starts coughing again after the dead weight is off of him, raising his upper half with his forearm to glance at the unconscious brunet.

There’s more blood starting to bloom from Sora’s chest wound, so Ienzo starts looking across the destroyed room for his staff. He sees it just a few feet away and shuffles towards it, picking it up as his head starts to feel dizzy. He grunts in pain as he slowly makes his way back to Sora, pausing in front of the brunet’s body on his knees. He lays the bulb of his staff just over Sora’s chest, beginning to shakily cast the healing magic on him with breathless words. Ienzo bows his head above Sora and keeps repeating the magic over and over again, watching the glass bulb glow as the green lights enter Sora’s body and start to heal him.

He keeps doing it even as he sees his blood starting to drip on Sora. It doesn’t matter right now. It’s only until the corners of his vision start to go black that Ienzo knows he’s not going to be conscious much longer, dropping the staff and falling limp on top of Sora.

 _I'm so sorry. Please don’t die_.

* * *

The next morning Roxas, Riku and Axel set out for Dark City. Their travels are long and overall rather quiet like yesterday. Roxas has no desire to speak to Axel and it seems to be the same for the redhead, leaving Riku left to himself. The knight appears to have noticed the tension between them, not commenting on anything and for all purposes ignoring the entire situation. Roxas is completely fine with this, spending his time reading his mysterious tome as they ride.

The blond gets to a section in the book that he can’t make sense of at all, pulling the book close so he can study the text intently. After some time and no luck in distinguishing what it could mean, the Prince sighs and closes the book. He decides to take a break from the reading for a bit, so he doesn’t become overly frustrated with not being able to understand it.

Riku finally addresses him, looking at the spell book in the blond’s hands. “What kind of magic is that?” He asks.

Roxas shakes his head lightly. “I’m not sure. I can’t tell what affinity it links to and there’s almost no talk of elements either,” he explains.

The knight nods to himself, thinking for a moment. “Maybe it’s something native to this land that you’ve never studied before.”

“Could be. If I was in the castle library, I could probably compare it to other texts and translate it much easier.” Roxas murmurs, running his hand over the cover of it. “There are a lot of sentences I can’t read. Words I’ve never seen.”

“Are you sure it’s even a tome?” Riku asks.

The Prince shakes his head. “The woman who sold it to me told me it was.” He answers.

The knight lets out a thoughtful noise. “The stuff you can understand- what’s it about?”

Roxas stares over to large meadows as he speaks. “All sorts of things. Nature, love, life, rebirth,” he says.

“Rebirth?” Riku asks him with an arched eyebrow.

“Yea. Like uh, a renewal of the body and spirit.” The blond tries to explain.

The knight nods. “Could it be some kind of healing tome then?” He asks.

Roxas frowns, staring down at the cover in his hand. “I dunno, maybe. I’ve never heard of a healing tome before though.”

The silver-haired teen lets out a hum in response. “Have you tried casting it?”

The Prince glances at the knight and shakes his head. Riku looks at the tome in his hands again, continuing. “Why don’t you try now? There’s no one out here around us.”

“Yea, I guess you’re right.” Roxas murmurs. “I don’t know if it will work though,” he says as he opens the tome to one of the pages he has already partially read. Riku is silent, waiting for the Prince to attempt it anyway and watching him with curiosity.

Roxas starts reciting the spell as best as he can, chanting the ancient words quietly. By the time he is finished with the lines of text, nothing appears to have happened as he looks up and meets Riku’s blank stare. The knight shrugs, so Roxas tries it again and pronounces some of the words a little bit differently. Still to no avail, nothing happens after he recites the words and again after a third time, so the blond just shakes his head and closes his book before he gets frustrated again.

“You’ll figure it out eventually.” Riku says to him casually, staring at Axel who has again taken the liberty of riding a distance ahead of them. Roxas lets out a small noise of recognition, taking a breath as he glances around him at the huge rolling fields of grass.

* * *

They arrive to Dark City a couple hours before nightfall. Axel says it’s great timing, because it gives Riku and Roxas the opportunity to go inside the tavern long before the redhead is to meet up with his friend. It’s obvious that Axel is uncomfortable whenever he’s speaking to them, because the redhead makes an avid point not to look at Roxas. It makes the blond purse his lips in annoyance, but still the Prince chooses to say nothing about it. When they are close to the tavern, Axel tells them that he’ll go find a place for their horses to stay for the night.

“We’re just supposed to hang out in this tavern for hours in the meantime?” Roxas asks skeptically as he lowers himself from his horse.

Axel keeps his back to the Prince as he lowers himself as well. “Have a drink. It will go by in no time.” He offers plainly, turning to take the blond’s horse from him. Roxas stares at Axel with an irritated gaze, staying silent as Riku steps next to him.

“The place is just around the corner there,” Axel says as he nods his head to down the street. “It’s called Gambler’s Fate.”

Then he finally looks to them, more at Roxas if anything and the redhead gives him a hard gaze. “Keep your head down and don’t do anything stupid.” He orders and then turns around, walking down the street in the opposite direction with the horses in tow.

Roxas simply rolls his eyes as the man walks away and starts towards the direction Axel pointed them towards. He sees Riku trailing along next to him, the knight’s armour clinking quietly as they walk. It’s not long before they’ve rounded the corner and are looking around for the tavern. The streets are somewhat empty for the most part, save for a random person here or there. Nobody tries to approach them or talk to them, making Roxas wonder what is so dangerous about this place. Axel seemed apprehensive even being here, but it doesn’t seem so bad compared to the other places they’ve visited.

“Roxas, up ahead on the right.” Riku calls to him, pulling the blond from his thoughts.

The Prince looks to where the knight directed him, noticing the wooden sign sticking out from a building up ahead. He sees the name Axel spoke of and nods to himself, trying to mentally prepare for what could be inside. The blond almost looks to Riku and asks him if he’s worried, but Roxas knows it’s too late to be having second doubts and approaches the tavern. He takes the initiative and goes in first, opening the old wooden door with a loud creak and entering with Riku behind him.

It’s fairly dark inside compared to out, considering the sun is still up in the sky even if it is close to setting. The tavern has only a few lamps lit inside to give a faint glow over the entire place, making Roxas have to blink a couple of times to get adjusted as Riku closes the door behind them. There’s about fifteen other people scattered across the bar; cards and many drinks in front of them. Only one or two of them look up as they enter, one of them being the man working behind the bar.

Roxas nods to him as they step further into the tavern, scouting the room out and deciding to pick a space near the side of the building with a view of the front door. Him and Riku take their seats at a small wooden table, keeping their gazes low and to themselves as the set their belongings down. A few moments later the man working approaches them, a small smirk on his face. He’s got short blond hair with a goatee, and blue eyes that look to be animated and taunting. It puts Roxas off immediately.

“Afternoon, lads.” His voice calls to them. “You must be new around here.”

Riku nods to the man politely. He crosses his arms and gives a small huff of amusement. “We have a rule around here: no weapons in the bar. Alcohol and men don’t often result in favourable outcomes.” He explains, nodding to the sword at Riku’s side. “And I’m not rather fond of blood.”

Roxas and the knight share a split-second glance before Riku nods, grabbing his sword and standing up. “Where should I put it?” He asks.

The man gives him a bigger smile, holding out his hands. “I’ll place it behind the bar. I’ll need your knives as well, mate.” The older man says, addressing Roxas.

It makes him pause for a moment, staring up at the man. He’s a little weary about giving up their weapons, but the man also doesn’t know about Roxas’ tomes. Plus, it’s only been two minutes of them setting foot into the tavern and Roxas isn’t about to spoil their plan because he's nervous. So, he complies like Riku, detaching the large and small knives off of his belt and gives them to the man.

“Cheers lads. I’ll bring you some drinks in a moment.” He says to them, walking away behind to bar to put their weapons away.

“Well at least none of these guys have weapons either.” Riku comments quietly, his gaze trailing to the other men in the room.

“I’m not sure that makes me feel any better.” Roxas responds.

The knight’s gaze comes back to the blond’s. “We’ll be alright. Just relax and have a few drinks.”

The Prince rolls his eyes, looking away at something in the tavern. “You sound like Axel.” He murmurs.

“This is probably the easiest thing we’ve had to do this entire trip. Give yourself a moment’s rest.” Riku encourages quietly, intentionally ignoring the comparison of himself to the redhead.

Roxas lowers his head and shakes it back and forth gently. “I can’t. Not while Sora’s in the hands of that traitor.” He grits out bitterly. The blond blinks when two mugs are placed in front of them a moment after he says it and looks up to the blond man’s gaze apprehensively, hoping the man didn’t hear him.

Riku lays down a coin for the drinks and the blond man simply thanks them before picking it up and walking away. Roxas exhales quietly, thankful that the man didn’t seem to have heard.

The knight picks up his drink, taking a big gulp. When he sets it down, the silver-haired teen looks at Roxas again. “Remember what you said to me the first morning on the ship? You said I needed to be in good shape when we got here, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to save Sora.” The knight explains.

Roxas looks down into his drink, nodding absentmindedly.

“Well, you need to be in good shape when we get to that castle. Right now, we’ve got no idea what we’ll be up against.” Riku says.

“Gee, you’re really making it easier for me to relax.” The Prince murmurs, taking a drink and nearly wincing at the taste.

Riku lets out a quiet laugh at the blond’s distaste for the ale. “It really does make you miss the wine back home, huh?” The knight asks.

Roxas feels the corner of his mouth turn up slightly. “Absolutely. This stuff tastes atrocious.” He agrees, but takes another sip anyway.

“A lot of things about this place make me miss home,” Riku continues quietly, glancing at some men playing cards together. One of them is talking loudly and the other let out laughs every so often at something he says.

The Prince swallows thickly. “Yea, it’s…in bad shape.” He adds weakly.

The knight drinks from his cup before continuing. “I’d say that’s putting it lightly. We haven’t been to a single town without crime, poverty and sickness.” He denounces quietly.

“Riku,” the blond starts. He pauses when the knight glances at him curiously and Roxas sighs. “There’s something you need to know about…the peace treaty.” The Prince says.

“Its not…it’s not what we were taught it was meant to be.” Roxas continues as Riku’s gaze becomes a little more puzzled. And so, the Prince recounts all of the details that Axel revealed to him a few nights ago. He tells Riku about the lead up to the assassination and the war, like how they were taught. But then he explains how the war was much more devastating and the peace treaty was really terms of surrender, otherwise the entire nation would probably have been wiped out. Roxas talks about the man in Hollow Bastian who was yelling in the streets about the sanctions and the moment when Xion revealed to the Prince that she knew Riku’s sword was native to the Islands.

And by the time he’s done, Roxas is on his second drink and so is Riku. The blond has kept his eye on the door throughout the duration of his explanation, seeing men come and go as time passes. A hooded man comes in and has a lengthy conversation with the man running the tavern before sitting down at a table by himself. Roxas only looks over to him when he starts to hear the sounds of music being played, seeing the hooded man plucking at the strings of an instrument he doesn’t recognize quietly to himself. It's actually pretty relaxing, the soft melodies the man plays calming Roxas' tension.

It's a little strange, but Roxas doesn’t think much of it. No one in particular seems to stands out to him, making the anticipation of this meeting build inside of the Prince. What would this man be like? Would he really be skilled enough to sneak the three of them inside the castle of King Xehanort?

But Roxas brings his attention back to the topic at hand when Riku finally says something. “That’s…horrible.” He comments. The Prince nods slowly in agreement, pausing when the knight continues. “What an awful tale to spread among the people.”

Roxas blinks in surprise at the knight, completely taken aback. “What? Riku, it’s not a tale.” He retorts immediately.

Then Riku gives the blond a mirrored stare, unsure how he should tread at this point. “You…believe it?” He asks.

The Prince opens his mouth, but no words come out at first. He shakes his head and exhales. “I don’t know, it’s crazy enough to be true.” He admits.

Riku is silent, staring at his drink with a perplexed expression. Roxas decides to take another drink, starting to feel the buzzing of the alcohol in his head. The sun must have been set by now, where was Axel and this other mercenary already?

“I don’t know what to say. I just…” Riku trails off. “I don’t get how it could have been kept a secret this long if it was true.”

Roxas nods in agreement, unsure as well. He knew he was oblivious to a lot of the politics in the kingdom, mainly because he is neither the King or the next in line for the throne. Those things never seemed to be apart of his priorities- rather focusing on his magic and studies. But he never thought he could have been _this_ oblivious to it all. It makes him feel shameful and ignorant.

“Are you going to say something to your father when we return?” Riku asks after the lull of silence between them grows substantial.

The Prince pauses with his drink in his hands, glancing down at the table. Truthfully, he hasn’t done a lot of thinking about what is going to happen when they return to the Islands. Of course, there’s a part of Roxas that is fearful that they might fail to rescue Sora, the part of him the carries doubt and insecurity. But perhaps that’s _why_ he has chosen to not think about what might happen, because if he does Roxas thinks it might start eating away at his mind. He has no idea what is going to happen if they make it out and back to the Islands alive. The logical part of his brain says that his father will pardon his, Riku’s and even Axel’s actions for saving his son. But there’s also another part that preys on his fear of his father and how cruel he knows him to be, worrying that it could take a completely different turn. And saying something about the hidden history? Roxas knows that not saying anything about what has happened to Eclipsis would make him complicit in the crimes committed against these people, but he also has to think that there’s a reason it’s been covered up. If he said something to his father about it, would he force Roxas to stay silent about the situation?

As Roxas ponders this and opens his mouth, truthfully unsure as to what he’s going to say, the door opens and a quick glance tells him that Axel has just arrived. He averts his gaze quickly before the redhead sees and takes a drink.

“Axel’s here,” the blond murmurs quickly before sipping his drink. He hears Axel walking further into the tavern, greeting the man running it by name.

Riku nods, dropping their previous conversation as a hush falls between them. Roxas really wants to turn and look at Axel to try and see who he’s going to meet with, but he knows it would be a complete giveaway if anyone were to be watching them at the moment.

The knight takes another drink of his ale. “So, any thoughts as to who it is?” He asks.

Roxas shakes his head. “No clue. You?”

Riku lets out a muffled sound in response, shaking his head. “Guess we’ll find out any moment now.” He answers, sitting back in his chair and releasing a sigh. Roxas nods silently, resting his elbow on the table and supporting his chin with his hand. He hears Axel start to walk away from the bar and holds his breath in anticipation, eager to know who it is.

It’s only when the music stops and Roxas hears a man call Axel’s name in an excited tone that his eyes widen in surprise at Riku. The knight gives him a matched expression and Roxas spares a sharp glance towards them, seeing that Axel is in fact going towards the man who was playing music just a moment ago and speaking to him. The man has lowered his hood, showing a man about Axel’s age with oddly styled blond hair and green eyes.

“ _That_ guy is a castle guard?” Riku asks in disbelief. Roxas shakes his head in defeat, slumping back in his seat.

“Looks like it,” the Prince responds skeptically.

He hears the knight let out a sigh and rubs a hand over his face. “Whatever. One way or another, we’re getting into that castle.” He declares.

Roxas can only nod in agreement, continuing to chat idly with Riku for sometime. He’s getting a little worried with how long this meeting is going to take between the two of them, having consumed four drinks already and feeling rather dizzy. He decides not to have anymore alcohol for the remainder of the night, worried that he might do something stupid to mess this situation up in his current stupor. Unfortunately shortly after he finishes the drink, the owner of the tavern who they have come to know as Luxord, brings him and Riku a pair of complimentary drinks. Roxas wants to push it away, but nods in thanks to the man and sips it every now and again.

Overall, the tavern remains in good shape and nobody gets violent or angry in their drunken games with one another. Roxas is questioning why Axel was so worried about this place at all; everything has been perfectly fine up to this point and it didn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. Eventually as more time passes, Axel and his friend come to a close with their conversation and make their way to the exit. Roxas gives Riku a questioning glance and the knight offers a slight shrug.

“We’ll wait a bit. Would look weird if we chased off after them so suddenly.” Riku says.

“Right.” Roxas responds, tapping his fingers on the table top nervously. Riku gives him a look, so the Prince lays his hands flat on the table apprehensively.

Shortly after, Axel returns to the tavern. Roxas meets his gaze for a second and catches the small nod of his head to the door, before the redhead makes his way to Luxord and retrieves the weapons with a goodbye to the blond man. Once he’s left, Roxas and Riku follow behind, gathering their things and getting their weapons back from Luxord. As they approach the exit, attaching their weapons back to their belts, they hear one of the men at a table start shouting in anger. He proclaims that one of the other players at the table is cheating. The accused man stands up and within seconds they’re brawling with each other, landing hits on one another.

Roxas gasps in surprise as more men start to join in immediately, then the entire bar practically breaks out into a fight. Riku grabs Roxas quickly, practically throwing the stumbling Prince out of the tavern before they somehow get caught up in the heat of things. As they scramble outside, Axel is waiting for them and leaning against the building. There are more people in the dark streets than there were when the sun was out, making Roxas frown a little in doubt.

“That’s why Luxord doesn’t allow weapons in the bar.” The redhead explains with a small smirk, probably at Roxas and Riku’s overwhelmed expressions. “It’s pretty typical for a fight like that to break out at least once a night.”

“Once a _night_?” Roxas asks in disbelief, looking at the tavern that has many echoing yells atop one another coming from inside.

Axel nods, pushing himself from the wall and starting to walk down the street. “Come on, I found a place for us to stay tonight. Then I’ll give you the plans for tomorrow. We’re going in at nightfall.” He explains lowly. Roxas swallows thickly, wishing he was more sober in the moment but nods regardless and follows behind the redhead with Riku in toll.

It won’t be much longer now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, with the way things are progressing I can end this story one of two ways, and I'd like to give you guys control of the direction of the layout of the last few chapters. Here's what I'm thinking.
> 
> Option 1: End the story in 2 chapters. The next one would be the normal length, and the final one would be around 10-20k words.  
> Option 2: End the story in 3 chapters, all of them being the usual 7-10k word length.
> 
> If you guys have a preference, please let me know and I'll work with what you'd like to see.


	17. Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohh hello everyone!! I have a couple of things to say before the chapter starts so I'll make them quick!  
> 1\. The story will be finished in 2 chapters after this- thank you to everyone for your input! I had a challenging time deciding what would work best for the story and it seemed like three chapters will be smoother 😊  
> 2\. This chapter turned out to be much longer than intended, but it's my favourite one I've written to date! I really hope you like it ♡

It’s late. Cloud knows it to be so, judging by where the moon is in the sky right now. He also knows it to be so because his eyes are heavy. His eyelids feel like weights, attempting to force him into sleep and give himself a moment rest.

But he can’t.

Or maybe it’s that he won’t. Perhaps a bit of both. Even if Cloud _did_ try to lay in his bed and attempt to get some rest, he doesn’t think his mind would be able to relax. The comfort of his bed would feel exactly the same as the chair he is sitting in at the moment, staring out of one of the windows to his bedroom. His mind would still be reeling in dread, unable to do anything other than sit in silence and be consumed by it.

Every so often his hand will clench the armrest of the chair he’s sitting in and then he’ll swallow thickly, getting a momentary onslaught of fear at the thought of what is to come tomorrow. Then he plays through the scenario in his head over and over again until his mind becomes hollow once more and the cycle ever so slowly repeats itself.

At one point Cloud’s mind comes to a halt, thinking he heard something from across the room. He turns his head to the side ever-so-slightly, then realizes that someone is knocking on his door. The Prince turns his attention back to the window, staying silent. He knows it’s Leon; who else would come visit him at such a late hour?

Before he can even try and rationalize what to do in his head, Cloud hears the sound of his bedroom door open quietly and close again within a few seconds. Normally the Prince would have turned around with a sharp movement, his walls stacking up and becoming guarded at such insolence. Even if Leon and him did have intimacy with one another, this was far beyond his authority as a royal knight.

But Cloud simply stares out the window even as he hears the knight’s footsteps coming closer to him. They come to a stop and then Leon’s quiet voice calls to him from behind.

“Prince Cloud…” The knight tries weakly.

Cloud doesn’t react, his eyes focused on the seas and skies outside even though he’s really not taking anything in.

When Leon doesn’t get a response, he tries again. “I’ll send for Merlin.” He says, starting to turn around.

“There’s no need,” Cloud’s voice murmurs to the knight, even as he stays still in place. “Nothing he can do would be of use.”

A hovering silence comes across the room and the Prince almost forgets Leon is there until the knight comes into his view, stopping at the side of Cloud’s chair and kneeling next to the Prince. The blond almost looks away from the window instinctively at Leon, but something holds him in place. It’s probably the fear taking hold of him.

“Cloud, please. You’re not well.” Leon says to him, his voice concerned.

The Prince swallows slowly, his grip on the arm of the chair tightening. “You’re wrong.” He responds.

“You’ve been in your room all day.” The knight protests.

“It’s the only safe place in this castle right now.” Cloud whispers back. After the words leave his mouth, he realizes his slip up and finally looks to the knight for a split second. Leon has his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“Cloud…I don’t understand.” The knight urges.

The blond shakes his head back and forth, his eyes drifting to the window again. “I don’t either.” He mumbles vaguely.

He hears Leon let out a frustrated exhale. Then the knight moves so he’s kneeling in front of Cloud. “You should lie down,” he encourages. “You’re exhausted.”

“Why did you come here?” Cloud asks him softly.

There’s a pause after his question, then Leon stands up. “You know why.”

The blond looks down in his lap apprehensively. He does know why, but it just makes matters worse.

“Leon, after tonight you will not come see me like this again.” Cloud orders quietly, his voice low.

He sees the brunet stiffen in his peripheral and waits for the knight to speak. “If that is what you command, Your Grace.” Leon says, though Cloud hears the barest hint of aching in his tone. It makes the blond tense his jaw for a couple of seconds, then he stands up.

A rush of blood trails to his head and the corners of Cloud’s eyes go fuzzy for a moment before he regains himself and raises his head to meet Leon’s stoic gaze. It’s like the man has put up all of the walls that Cloud worked so hard to overcome, staring at the Prince like the day they met. Like Cloud was nothing but an objective; a figure to be guarded as his duty commands.

It makes the blond become hesitant for a moment, his gaze becoming soft towards Leon. He feels himself stepping closer to the man, even when the knight’s shoulders tense as he approaches. Cloud starts to waver, his expression becoming tight and his hand relaxing at his side. He purses his lips as his hand starts to raise itself, swallowing thickly after Leon closes his eyes when the Prince’s thumb brushes against the skin of his scar. Gods, he can’t help himself in the slightest when it comes to this man. Cloud has never felt such a way before.

“Today I am going to ask something of you that you won’t understand.” Cloud starts, letting his thumb run along the knight’s scar. “And I can’t tell you why, but I need to know that you’ll obey me. Lines are becoming blurry and I can’t tell friend from foe.”

Leon’s eyes open at the end of his sentence and the brunet’s eyebrows furrow in confusion. Cloud gives him a hopeful stare; one so vulnerable he can practically picture how it looks. He can only hope it gets communicated to Leon and that the knight will understand. He sees the way the brunet's eyes soften towards him and Cloud thinks about grabbing him by the hand and fleeing the castle in this very moment, just to get away and keep them safe. It's ridiculous and he knows it, but the Prince can't deny how much better things would be right now if he did that.

“I’ll always obey your word Cloud.” The brunet says surely to him.

Cloud stares into the man’s eyes, taking in all that is Leon and allowing himself a moment of peace and tranquility within his comforting gaze. The Prince releases a small breath, looking down and letting his hand fall in the same manner. He nods, stepping back from the knight and walking towards his chair once more.

“Then I will see you in the morning.” The Prince murmurs, lowering himself into the seat once again and staring out the window like nothing has just happened. Leon doesn’t move for some time and Cloud says nothing about it, but eventually the knight does excuse himself from the room quietly and the door closes behind him with a soft sound.

* * *

His day is started (or re-started, considering he was up until the sun nearly started to rise) with servants knocking on his door to start getting him ready. Cloud rises from his seat, his muscles feeling stiff from sleeping in such a position. He ignores the pain, instead calling to the servants and ordering them to come inside. Several of them trail in holding various articles of clothing and one of them begins preparing Cloud a bath to start his day.

His mind is just as hollowed out as last night, probably even a little more so now that the day has come. His eyes are constantly glued to the windows outside, staring at the cloudy morning skies and wondering if it was to rain today. The Islands didn’t experience heavy rainfall often, but Cloud finds it rather fitting that the skies look like they might lament all day. It feels like there would be no better opportunity for such weather.

Cloud is silent as he is bathed and dressed for the day, letting his servants talk with each other and blocking out their words. Their voices are like low hums, the sounds of their mouths being processed but their words not acknowledged. They try to get him to eat before he is dressed, but the Prince refuses the offers each time. By the end of it all Cloud is left dressed in a newly made white long coat with golden suns embroidered into it and fitted black pants. He wears newly made black boots that end just above his knees and his fingers are covered in various rings made of silvers, golds and others.

After the servants take their leave and inform Cloud that someone will come to get him shortly, the Prince walks towards his vanity and glances at his sword leaning up against it. He stares at the blade in thought, trying to decide if he should bring it with him or not. It would go against tradition if he brought it with him and yet, Cloud still weighs it up in his mind before ultimately deciding against it. And with that, the Prince does what he’s done best for the past days of these troubling times:

He waits.

He waits until the first drop of rains starts to fall from outside and within minutes, the sky is pouring in heavy drops. He waits even as the raindrops start to enter his room, getting his hands and some of his clothing wet as he rests on the window sill. Until it’s time and a soft knocking is heard at the door. Then Cloud turns towards it, taking a breath and starting towards the exit. He opens the door only to be met with the councillor who found him in his father’s room the other night.

The man’s expression twists into that of a snide smirk. “Good morning, Your Grace.” He greets quietly.

Cloud stares at the man blankly for a couple of seconds, not intending to respond to him.

“Not feeling social? That’s alright I suppose, you won’t need to say much today after all.” The councillor fills in for him, beginning to turn around and start back down the hallway. Cloud follows behind, feeling like every step closer in the direction of where they are headed is a step closer towards being chained down for the rest of his days. His footsteps feel heavy and he’s surprised his legs are as steady as they are right now, considering he hasn’t eaten in the past day.

After they exit the east hallway and enter the front hall, Cloud lets his gaze trail over the empty room slowly. Over the balcony he can see there are two guards standing post at the exit doors, lances in hand and still as can be. There are a few others by the west wing entrance as well. Cloud averts his gaze and focuses on different areas of the large room.

“It’s rather unfortunate that of all days, it rains today Your Grace.” The councillor muses to him as they approach the closed doors of the west wing. “Hopefully it will clear after the ceremony.”

Cloud remains silent again, wanting to do nothing more than tell the man to shut up. As they stop in front of the doors to the west wing, the councillor pauses and turns to the Prince and gives him another sickening smile.

“After you, Your Grace.” He offers, holding out his hand to the door and watching the guards both grab a handle to open.

Cloud stays still in place as they open, even as the beginning of music starts to play when the doors open. He makes sure he’s still breathing as he takes the first step, remembering to inhale and exhale. As he crosses the threshold of the doorway and comes further into the room, hundreds of eyes turn to him and the Prince forces himself to stare straight ahead. Cloud is unable to look at anyone, scared that his weakly put on façade would crumble if he did.

The path down the aisle is laid out with a bright red carpet and all the Prince wants to do is stare down at it as he advances, but he keeps his gaze forward and his face passive. Further down the aisle he sees the bishop standing at the end, his hands folded behind him as his gaze is held on Cloud. Behind him stand all of the councillors except for the one behind him somewhere, the nine men staring at the Prince with expressions that could only mean to intimidate him further. Their eyes are frigid and unwelcoming, probably not wanting to be here right now as much as Cloud.

Yen Sid stands at the end of the line of councillors, his gaze seemingly remorseful as the blond approaches. Cloud wonders how involved the man could have been with everything that has happened over time. The Prince wants to believe Yen Sid would never have committed such heinous crimes against his father and mother, but without any kind of confirmation he is left feeling just as suspicious of the man as the rest of the councillors.

The music comes to a stop when the Prince reaches the front of the room, pausing at the bottom of the few steps. He climbs them slowly, head low as he approaches. It’s only when he looks up into the eyes of the bishop just a few feet away that everything becomes real. The last councillor appears into the line of men and Cloud averts his eyes from him.

The room is silent for a few seconds before the bishop starts speaking, leading them into a prayer. He recites the lines loudly throughout the room, his voice echoing and words filling Cloud’s mind. The blond feels himself starting to reflect on everything that has gone on in the short amount of time that has passed.

When the bishop is done the prayer, he turns to one of the councillors holding a small box and the man steps forward, bowing his head to the bishop and offering it. The man opens the box and grabs a hold of the golden crown Cloud has only ever seen his father wear up until now, unable to pry his eyes away from it.

As the man holds the crown gently, Cloud bows his head and begins reciting his oath. His oath to deliver justice and uphold his duty as King. His responsibilities of ruling the Islands in such a manner that benefits everyone, caring for the rich and the poor, the sick and the healthy. He recites the lines of ensuring prosperity to all and to serve the people to the best of his ability. The words roll off his tongue easily like he’s been practicing for some time now, but standing here and saying them out loud feels surreal.

And once he’s done, Cloud feels the crown being lowered onto his head. He slowly raises himself again, staring at the bishop who is smiling at him encouragingly now and congratulating him. Cloud hears the hundreds of people in the room stand and turns to look at them, his gaze scanning across the room as they clap and cheer for his coronation.

There are a lot of faces in the crowd of people, some he recognises and some he doesn’t. He sees Leon standing on the right side of the room against the wall with other members of the royal guard. His gaze doesn’t linger long on the man before it trails to the front of him, seeing Aerith standing in one of the front rows and giving him a smile that radiates such happiness.

And as he stares around the room longer, the details of everything that has happened start to build and take over Cloud’s mind. He thinks of his father, wishing he could have known more about the man and what happened to him. He wishes his mother were here right now to see him and give him the support he so desperately needs. He grieves for the two deceased parents in the silence, staring up at a large window far across the room near the roof. He can see that it is still raining, but there’s traces of sunlight behind the dark clouds.

Cloud thinks of his brothers. He yearns for their safety, regretting that he didn’t abandon his post and run off with Roxas to rescue Sora. Looking back, that should have been the only thing he really cared about. He feels guilty for not believing Roxas when his brother insisted Sora had been kidnapped. And Roxas shouldn’t have gone off with such little protection, even if he was a very skilled mage for his age. Cloud should have gone with him, should have done more than just give him a pouch of gold. Should have done _anything_.

The words echo in his head like echoes of a drum.

And then Cloud takes a large breath, releasing it slowly as his heart constricts within his chest and the crowd begins to calm.

“It is my duty as King to serve the people. To make sure that you stay safe and out of harm’s way.” The blond states loudly, his voice echoing.

“I owe it to everyone in this room. To the people on the streets. To myself…and my family.” Cloud continues, his voice softening at the end. Some people are giving the King curious glances, unsure as to what he is alluding to.

Then Cloud balls his fist at his side. “And that is what I’m going to do.”

He turns to face the councillors, glaring heatedly at the ten men in line. “Guards!” He yells. The sound of the armoured men in the room echoes as they step in formation. Leon is immediately making his way towards Cloud as the others wait for his command.

“Seize the councillors and Yen Sid. These men have conspired against my father and killed my mother, and today they will finally answer to their crimes.” The King commands icily.

There’s a moment of silence in the room before Aeleus reacts first, drawing his weapon and advancing towards the men. Several others follow in suit people in the crowd gasp as the councillors and Yen Sid are surrounded quickly, guards working to restrain them all.

Cloud watches the scene with a determined expression, even as yells begin to break out from the crowd and the councillors are yelling at him in protest. Some of them are denying their involvement and others are accusing the King of madness. The King looks to his side as Leon comes close to him, his sword drawn. His eyes are wide with shock and he looks just as unsure as Cloud feels in the moment and before Leon can say anything to him, the King comes close to the knight to speak lowly into his ear.

“Take Aerith to my chambers and don’t let anyone follow you. Keep her safe until I come get you.” The blond orders, slipping the knight his bedroom key subtly.

When he pulls back to stare at Leon, the knight is silent and staring at him with an uncertain gaze. Cloud narrows his eyes when the brunet doesn’t move for a second, but Leon catches himself quickly and gives the King a single nod of his head before turning to grab Aerith. The blond watches as the guards start bringing the councillors out of the throne room and towards the dungeon, watching their outbursts with a glare.

One of the councillors gives Cloud a haunting smile as he walks by, uttering a quiet sentence to him as he passes.

“A poor decision indeed, my King.” He says.

The blond doesn’t say anything in response, raising his chin and watching as Yen Sid passes next with his head bowed low. It stings inside of the King’s chest as he watches the man go with no protest in denial or an attempt at seeking forgiveness from Cloud. Still, the blond remains stoic and set in place even after the men have been removed from the room and hushed chatter falls across the crowd. He orders the remaining guards to begin dispersing the crowd and getting them outside of the castle.

After Cloud has cleared the throne room out and given himself some time to breathe and think, he nearly collapses to his knees in the middle of the room and feels a sudden wave of exhaustion come over him. He thinks it’s part relief, part weakness from lack of food and sleep; but either way it brings Cloud a momentary fragment of solace.

The King doesn’t realize he’s panting as he breathes, turning towards the large window at near the top of the room he was staring at before. He gulps when sunlight begins filtering through the space, bringing about a bright aura of light from the opening. Cloud lifts an arm to shield himself, narrowing his eyes and starting to become overwhelmed in the moment.

Cloud takes a final deep breath to steady himself once again and begins walking towards the councillor’s room quietly, ordering one of the few remaining guards to have wine and food brought to the room. When he's situated in the room, he sits at the table by himself and removes his crown, setting it on the table. The blond lets his eyes drift towards the cloudy skies outside again, watching the sun filter through every couple of minutes as he mentally goes over his next course of action.

* * *

“Sir Leon, please! What is the meaning of this?” Aerith cries to him as the knight holds her wrist and pulls her away from the crowd, slipping through the commotion and into the halls before the rest of the people begins to disperse.

The knight doesn’t respond much other than telling the girl to stay quiet; partially because there’s no time to waste explaining and Leon knows just about as much as Aerith does in this moment, so it’s not like he could give much of an answer anyway. He breaks out into a run, pulling the girl along with him as they dash towards the east halls. The front hall is rather empty save for a few guards rushing towards the west wing to see what all of the commotion is about. Leon halts them suddenly when he hears their footsteps drawing near and pulls Aerith behind one of the large supporting pillars in the room to hide themselves.

He holds Aerith close to him as they run by, keeping his head turned to the side as the guards run past them. It’s only when they’re a safe distance away that the knight starts pulling her towards the east wing again, breaking out into a run. They’re close now, but Leon can hear more people beginning to exit the west wing as they filter out of the throne room.

He urges Aerith to pick up her pace quickly, grabbing a hold of the door to the east wing and practically shoving the girl through. The large hall is free from people, making Leon release a quick breath of relief before he starts bringing the brunette towards Cloud’s room quickly. The knight shoves the key inside of the lock quickly, twisting it and hearing a click of the lock. He ushers Aerith inside swiftly, entering the room himself, retrieving the key and shutting the door with a loud bang. Once it’s locked, Leon rests with his back against the door and closes his eyes as he works to regain his breath.

Aerith does the same, resting a hand above her chest as it heaves quietly. The brunette’s face is flushed as she pants, staring around Cloud’s room briefly before she looks at Leon again.

The knight shakes his head before she can even say anything. “My Lady, I’m afraid I do not know what is going on.” He explains. “After the King gave his order he commanded me to bring you here until he returns.”

Aerith stares at him a moment long before nodding and lowering her eyes as her breathing starts to even out. She still looks very nervous and apprehensive about the whole situation, turning around quietly and placing her hand over her mouth.

“Oh, I hope he’s alright.” She says as she walks over to a chair next to a small table and sits in it, dropping her hands in her lap and falling silent.

Leon stays where he is, instinctively crossing his arms as he leans against the door and looking to the ground. He knows it’s very distasteful for him to stand in such a manner especially in front of a high-born, but the knight’s mind is trying to make sense of what just _happened_. One minute Cloud was being crowned King and the next he ordered an entire group of influential men to be arrested? What was he thinking?

“Excuse me, Sir Leon?” Aerith calls to him, stirring the knight from his thoughts.

He looks to her as she gestures to the vacant seat across the small table. “Please, have a seat with me. It would make me feel much more relaxed.” She says.

Leon feels his throat tighten just a bit at her words, ignoring the feeling and nodding once to the brunette. The knight approaches her hesitantly, then unlatches his sword from his belt to rest against the table and sits in the unoccupied seat. He doesn’t look at Aerith, feeling unable to do so as they sit in Cloud’s room, just feet away from where himself and the blond had kissed and acted so intimately days ago.

“How long do you think we’ll be waiting?” The brunet asks.

Leon pauses, releasing a quiet breath and glancing up at Aerith. “I’m unsure of that, My Lady. It could be minutes, or it could be hours.”

The brunette stands up after he speaks, running her hands along her pale pink dress to smooth it out. She walks over to the vanity and picks up the decanter, pouring two glasses of wine.

“Then we should at least make ourselves a little more comfortable.” She says, picking the cups up and bringing them back to the table.

Leon holds a hand up in protest, shaking his head back and forth. “I thank you, My Lady, but I cannot drink while I’m on duty.” He protests.

Aerith pays his words no mind, setting one cup in front of him and then takes her seat again and has a sip of the wine. “Surely one glass would be of no harm,” she insists as she gestures to it.

Leon stares at the cup apprehensively, then looks up to Aerith who gives him a small smile. “Come now, you said it yourself: we could be here for hours.” She adds.

The knight releases a quiet breath, reaching for the cup and bringing the edge to his lips as he takes a small drink.

She does have a point there.

* * *

 Ienzo keeps his head low as he walks the large, dark hallways. A single guard strides a few feet ahead of him, his armour clanging with every step he takes. The noise seems to echo in the silent hall, the repetitive sounds lulling the blue-haired teen into a sort of daze as they progress. Ienzo’s mind is miles away from reality at the moment, unable to tear his thoughts from the events that occurred yesterday. It’s all still so fresh in his memory, especially considering after Ienzo fell unconscious he didn’t awaken until morning.

When he did, the student opened his eyes with heavy blinks, his vision blurry and mind slow to process things again. He made a move to sit up, but his body felt surprisingly heavy and seconds later Vexen appeared at his side.

His superior placed a hand against his shoulder to keep the blue-haired teen down, telling him that he was heavily sedated for his wounds and that he would need to rest a little longer before going to see the King.

The man had asked for him specifically.

Ienzo does his best to coax his nervous heart, the muscle’s laboured beatings against his chest feeling overwhelming. He pauses when the guard’s footsteps come to a halt, the hallway falling silent once more. The student looks up and sees that they’ve arrived to the King’s council room, getting another new burst of anxiety as the guard knocks on the door. A moment later, it opens and the guard steps aside to allow Ienzo to enter.

The moment he crosses through the doorway, he hears the thick wood close harshly behind him and it makes him flinch ever-so-slightly. He resists the urge to turn around and stare at it, instead focusing on the few lit candles upon a small square table in the middle of the room. The silhouette of the King stands in front of the single window, his back facing Ienzo.

The blue-haired teen gulps and bows his head to the man. “Your Grace. You sent for me?” His voice calls into the room softly.

“Ah, yes boy. Please, have a seat. I’m sure you’re still recovering from last night’s breakthrough,” he replies back. His voice is soft as he speaks, but there’s something low and haunting that Ienzo has always been keen to pick up on from the first time he met the man.

The student does his best to ignore the pit in his gut forming from his choice of words. Ienzo wouldn’t call anything like what happened yesterday a _breakthrough_ , but he obeys the man’s words and takes a cautious seat at the table. He winces slightly at the dull pain in his abdomen and shoulder, feeling like the pain medicine is beginning to wear off.

When he’s situated, the student speaks up again. “Yes, please forgive me if I appear lethargic Your Grace. I’m still rather sluggish.”

“Pay it no mind, I won’t ask much of you.” The man starts, turning to face Ienzo. The blue-haired teen’s gaze falls as the man approaches and continues. “I simply wish for you to tell me everything that happened yesterday after Vexen infused the magic with the Key. From the moment the magic made contact with the vessel.” He says, drawing his words out carefully.

Ienzo clenches his fist in his lap and nods, unable to look at the man. “I…of course, Your Grace,” he starts weakly. The student swallows quietly to clear his throat. “When the magic was first infused, the…vessel-” _Sora_ he wants to say, “was unresponsive for a few moments. I thought at first he might have died, because he was completely still.”

“And then the vessel suddenly let out a loud cry. It sounded…like a beast, it was so loud.” Ienzo says, feeling his heartbeat picking up in anxiety as he replays the scene in his mind. “He…the vessel broke free of the shackles in a second, and then attacked Lord Vexen with a magic I’d never seen before.”

“This magic,” the King interrupts before the student continues. “Describe it to me.”

Ienzo opens his mouth, then pauses as he thinks. “It wasn’t familiar. I didn’t recognize the type.” He explains, meeting the old man’s piercing eyes. “White as if it were light magic, but…different.”

The corner of Xehanort’s mouth turns upwards and the King gives a small gesture of his hand for Ienzo to continue.

He looks to the candles atop the table as he speaks. “After Lord Vexen was unconscious, the guards started restraining the vessel. He fought back, then one of the guards hit the vessel in the face. He…didn’t seem to like that.”

“What do you mean boy?” The man asks him.

“It…it was as if when the guard hit him, the vessel’s power grew. He grabbed the man by the neck until he was bleeding. Before the second one could attack, the vessel attacked with another magical power.”

Ienzo needs to pause to take a breath, his skin starting to crawl as he continues. “The magic went into the guard’s body and within seconds…” He breathes again. “His body exploded.”

“Exploded?” The King asks him quietly, bringing a hand to his mouth in thought.

The student nods, the hands in his lap trembling. “Y-yes Your Grace. Parts of his body…were all over the room.” He explains, finding it difficult to breathe normally at the moment.

The man’s amber eyes look down in thought. “Yes, a guard did mention a body was attacked beyond recognition.” He muses as if he’s discussing the weather. “Go on then,” he urges.

Ienzo licks his lips quickly. He recalls the rest of the events to the man, doing his best not to stutter over his words but finding it increasingly difficult to do so. Because as he speaks to the horrors of what happened in the lab, it seems as if King Xehanort’s eyes are lighting up with enjoyment. As if he is happy to hear of the death of his guards and the near death of himself and Lord Vexen. Or that they almost warped a boy beyond recognition and into some kind of monster with their experiment.

When he finishes, telling the man that he healed Sora until he fell unconscious, Xehanort simply stares at him amidst the silence. The flames from the candles seems to reflect off of the King’s amber eyes, bringing about an eerie chill to them.

Then the man places his hands on the table and stands up slowly, his chair scraping against the floor with a loud sound. Xehanort begins pacing around the dark room, clearly having no difficulty navigating the area.

“My boy. You have done a great thing,” the King says. His footsteps are light as he paces around.

Ienzo couldn’t disagree more.

“Had you not healed the boy once he returned to his stable state, he would have most certainly died.” The man explains, stopping in front of the window again. “That vessel is something we simply cannot afford to lose,” he muses.

Ienzo’s eyes are glued to the back of the man’s head, feeling rather perplexed at the moment.

“You see, that boy is something special. He possesses powers that few in this earth have ever had,” Xehanort starts. He turns back to face Ienzo, a feral smirk on his face. “But I’m sure you were already aware of this, no?” He asks.

The blue-haired teen’s chest seizes up and he gulps quietly, staring at the man with fear in his eyes. “I’m sure you had a chance to read my preface over.” Xehanort continues.

“Your Grace,” Ienzo begins, his tone frightened. “I beg your forgiveness-“

The man holds his hand up to silence the student. “I wanted to see what you would do once your curiosity of knowing the details to this project was satisfied.” He explains. “I put it there for you to find.”

“It’s clear to me that you and I share the same ambition for unravelling the truths behind our curiosity,” the King continues, a hint of excitement building in his tone. “You and I: we seek answers. We are thirsty for the knowledge of new powers.”

Ienzo says nothing as the King approaches again, only looking up to the man when he stands in front of the student. “I’ll tell you a quick story before you leave, little Ienzo,” Xehanort says.

“I had a vessel like that one years ago. A beautiful little sparrow she was.” The man recalls. “So delicate and gentle. She volunteered to participate in our experiments and I could not have been happier. We spent months working toward our success, and we were so close!” He exclaims, the King’s voice raising in a frenzy.

“I failed to realize how weak she was though. While she harboured these rare magical abilities, her body was feeble. On the last day of our experiments I infused too much magic into her body. She reacted much like this vessel did, but collapsed minutes after. When she awoken, she became fearful of the experiments. Suddenly her compliance was outweighed with fear, and that night she fled the castle with her lover, never to return again!”

Ienzo is unable to tear his gaze away from the man as he gets more worked up, his hands waving about. “Everything I worked so hard to achieve…ripped from me because the girl was scared she was to die.” The man bites out harshly. “I vowed to myself that if given the opportunity, I would never let another vessel out of my grasp.”

“And you…” Xehanort says, leaning down close to the student’s face. “You did the same. Because of your actions, the vessel still lives and our work is nearly complete.” He murmurs.

Ienzo swallows thickly, lowering his gaze and nodding. “I had my doubts about involving you with this project. I thought you had a weak mind; one that would fall timid in our works when put to the test.” The King says. “Now I am certain. You strive for knowledge, no matter what the cost.”

The student looks towards his King as the man stands once more, walking back to the window. “Go see the vessel before you rest. He requires more healing.” The man dismisses.

Ienzo stands up with shaky legs, bowing his head to the man and exiting the room.

* * *

 Leon isn’t sure how long it’s been since he’s been in Cloud’s room, but the cup of wine Aerith poured for him is long gone and the knight finds his patience wearing more and more thin as time passes.

It isn’t until they hear sounds of people yelling coming from outside that Leon’s attention is caught and the brunet stands up quickly, walking towards Cloud’s balcony. He hears Aerith’s steps following behind him quietly, the girl just as curious as Leon is. He almost tells her to go back inside and sit, but pauses when he looks over the stone barrier and sees a large crowd of people out in the front gardens. Their voices are blended together in a rush of white noise, but it’s easy to tell from their behaviour that the people are not happy.

“The people from the coronation ceremony…” Aerith comments quietly from next to him, resting her hands atop the balcony stone. “What are they doing?” She asks.

Leon is silent, observing the scene with a stoic expression on his face. “I don’t know…” he murmurs lowly, his eyes scanning over the people. He sees some of the castle guards standing near the front steps of the castle, their weapons drawn and yelling orders at the people. It’s clear nobody seems to care about them though, pumping their fists in the air and yelling loudly.

The longer he watches the people, the more anxious Leon finds himself becoming. His hand instinctively rests on the hilt of his blade, swallowing thickly and getting a looming feeling within his stomach.

His attention turns back to Cloud’s room as Aerith walks back inside quickly. The knight stares at her retreating form, watching her pause in the middle of the King’s room with her back to him.

A moment later the brunette turns to him, her hands folded in front of her nervously.

“You need to go find him,” she says.

Leon blinks at her in surprise, not expecting the girl to have said such a thing. “My Lady, King Cloud ordered me-“

“I know what he ordered you to do,” Aerith’s voice cuts in gently, her eyes full of concern. “But you are his guardian. What if he put himself in danger?” She asks.

The knight stares at the brunette with a hard gaze, unable to write off her words as paranoid. It’s as if she speaks the fears within Leon’s mind and hearing them out loud seems to convince him further.

"I swore to him that I would obey his word, no matter what." The knight tries again, looking to the side as his voice becomes more stern.

Aerith starts to step closer to him, making Leon tense up a bit. "You also swore that you would protect him with your life." She retorts, not backing down.

Leon still won't look at her. “My Lady, I cannot leave you alone. He ordered me not to.”

The brunette approaches Leon, grabbing both of his hands gently and staring at the man with certitude in her eyes. “Sir Leon, I’m not the one to be worried about right now. You know this too; you are a smart man.”

The knight stares down at the brunette’s hands holding his, feeling uneasy. Her grip tightens on him as his eyes fall and Leon looks at her again, his throat tight with uncertainty. 

“Despite his orders, he wants you by his side.” She says to him softly.

The knight stares at her blankly before the words start to settle in and Leon almost has to step back to put some distance between them, feeling a great guilt envelop him at her words. Aerith reacts first though, dropping his hands slowly and walking over to Cloud’s vanity. She stops at the side of it, picking up the King’s sword with two hands. The brunette turns to Leon again, stepping close to him with the sheathed blade in her hands.

“He may need this,” she says as she holds the sword out to him.

One last look at Aerith’s sincere gaze is enough to finally break Leon and the knight takes the blade from her carefully. He stares at the blade for another moment, then looks at her and nods carefully.

“Do not leave this room, My Lady.” The knight orders lowly.

She closes her eyes and nods her head back, a small smile on her face. “I will stay here until you and Cloud return, Sir Leon.” She says.

Leon begins walking to the exit of the room with Cloud’s sword in his hand and pauses to give Aerith an apprehensive look. The guilt inside of him is too great to simply leave without further words. It’s not as if Leon has any idea what he could say to make the feeling go away though, not being able to think of anything that could come close.

He meets her eyes and speaks quietly. “I’m sorry, Aerith,” seems to be the only thing that feels considerably appropriate.

She’s much more intuitive than Leon has ever given her credit for, her eyes warming after he says the words and giving him a smile as she shakes her head back and forth. “There’s nothing to apologize for Sir Leon. Our hearts often win over the mind.”

He doesn’t think it's possible for someone to be as compassionate as her, unsure as to how he is even supposed to say anything in response to that. Leon simply nods at her one last time, opening the door to Cloud’s room and checking to ensure nobody is walking in the hallway before he sneaks out carefully and starts towards the front hall. He can hear the faint echoing’s of people yelling outside, their yells and outbursts making Leon only wonder what could be happening at the moment.

When he approaches the doors to the front hall, the brunet pauses behind them and takes a quiet breath before turning the handle slowly and opening the door silently. The knight sees no one on the second floor and sneaks himself through the door. He wishes he wasn’t wearing his armour at the moment, the steel coverings making it much more difficult for him to move quietly.

Leon pauses when he hears voices of guards speaking to each other in harsh tones from the first floor. He approaches the balcony of the overpass curiously, his eyes widening when he sees several bodies of other castle guards lying dead on the first floor of the grand hall. The knight crouches down swiftly before they spot him, his heart beating loudly in his chest.

The sound of another guard entering the grand hall is heard and Leon starts to make his way around the corner of the balcony, intending on getting to the stairs.

“Hurry up with those! If someone sees this, the whole castle will go crazy!” The new guard yells.

One of them grunts before responding. “Already seems like that’s happenin’ outside with all that shouting.” He grits out.

Leon is close to the stairs, peering his head to spy on the two guards holding up one of the bodies as they drag it behind a pillar in the room. The third one is dragging the other body, a trail of blood forming in its wake.

“Why did that idiot King have to be walking around with other guards,” the other one complains. “Shouldn’t have been this difficult.”

The knight’s expression hardens and Leon doesn’t need to think further, standing up and stepping down the stairs quickly with light steps. When he’s near the bottom one of the guards sees him and lets out a yell of surprise, dropping the body he’s dragging with a careless movement.

Leon unsheathes Cloud’s sword as he stalks towards the men, seeing the other two release the body they’re carrying. The three of them remove their own swords in the next second, their faces becoming hostile as Leon approaches.

He stops when he’s about ten feet away from them, Cloud’s sword held loosely at his side. “Explain yourselves at once,” the knight demands.

“We don’t answer to you!” One of the guard’s retorts, holding his sword up threateningly.

“And who do you answer to!?” Leon bites back.

“That’s none of your concern, knight.” A different one responds. “Step away and we may spare your life.” He warns as he steps forward.

Leon’s jaw tenses and his expression becomes callous as he grips Cloud’s sword tightly in his hand. He reacts sharply, dashing forward and swings at the man with a powerful blow. The guard raises his own sword to block the attack with a grunt, wavering back at the strength of the knight. Leon sees the other two guards start to charge at him quickly in his peripheral and shifts his weight so he can pull back his leg and kick the guard he’s attacking in the chest. The man is taken off balance and falls backwards went a rough landing.

The knight shifts his attention to the other two guards charging and holds his sword up defensively in front of himself. The guard on his right attacks first, leaping forward and slashing his blade vertically towards Leon. The brunet jumps backwards to dodge and makes a sharp leap to the side, countering the man. The guard also tries to dodge by jumping back, but Leon catches the man’s arm with a deep slice, causing him to yell out in pain and fall back.

The next one doesn’t make a move to strike first, holding out his sword offensively towards Leon. The brunet spares a quick glance to the guard he kicked down, seeing that the man has gathered himself and is starting towards him again. The knight grits his teeth, making a dash towards the passive guard and swinging his sword at the man. The guard changes his stance quickly and parries Leon’s attack quickly, jumping out of the way to dodge the following attack.

Leon grunts as the man continue to either dodge or parry every one of his assaults, figuring that this guard is clearly the most skilled of the three. The knight turns his head to the side as he hears another one advancing towards him, the momentary slip of attention landing an elbow to his face from the guard he’s in front of. The knight stumbles back as his free hand comes to his face instinctively, regaining his balance quickly and lowering his hand.

He sees blood on his glove but pays it no mind as his other arm comes up to block a jump strike from one of the guards. Leon grits his teeth as he struggles to fend the man off of him. Realizing that he’s beginning to fall back, the knight shifts himself backward and rolls out of the way. Leon pants heavily as he falls into his stance again and studies the men carefully.

“There’s no way you’ll walk away alive here,” one of the guards taunts him. “Throw down your weapon.” He insists.

Leon grunts and makes a strike towards the guard he already wounded, watching the man block his attack and then immediately swings again. The man winces with each blow, and one of Leon’s attacks makes him stumble backwards. Using the opportunity, the knight brings his sword back and thrusts it into the man’s chest with a forceful movement. As the blade pierces through his body, the man falls still and then limp just seconds later. Leon rips his sword from the guard’s body with a jerky movement, panting heavily as the man falls to the ground.

He looks up and sees the more powerful guard charging at him now. The knight grunts loudly as he pulls back into a defensive stance, and parries the man’s powerful attack. Leon shifts his stance quickly, pulling back to counter the man. The guard blocks his blow and then jumps back a few feet to put distance between them. Leon can hear the other guard running towards his and grits his teeth, gripping Cloud’s sword tightly and leaping towards the guard again to attack.

The man blocks Leon’s attack easily, placing them in a stand-off as the two grapple with each other. The knight glares at the guard, who is smirking with him in a taunting manner. Leon almost throws all of his weight into the man, but changes his course in a matter of seconds when he hears the footsteps just feet away from behind him.

The knight pulls his weight back with a quick movement and leaps to the side, turning himself and watching as the guard who was just behind him thrusts his sword forward and stabs the other guard through the chest. The men both look down at the impact with horror in their face, freezing in place for a moment.

The one who has been stabbed shakes his head back and forth slowly, glaring at the shocked guard. “Fucking idiot,” the man grunts out before he falls to the ground, taking the guard’s sword from his hand.

Leon wastes no time, stalking towards the last guard who is still frozen in place. His head snaps up when Leon is within reaching distance and the knight strikes him in the face with his fist immediately, sending the guard backwards. The brunet throws Cloud’s sword on the ground hastily, hearing the metal clang against the ground loudly as he punches the man again. This time when he stumbles back, Leon catches his foot and trips the man, sending him to the ground.

The knight kneels down to the man, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him roughly. The guard grunts as blood poor from his nose and his lip that is now split.

“Who do you work for and where is the King?” Leon growls out at the man.

The guard stares up at the brunet with a passive gaze before his eyes become angry. “I won’t tell you anything,” he grits out with blond dripping down his chin.

Leon throws the man to the ground roughly and draws his own sword with a sharp noise, holding it towards the man’s face. “Then your going to die here, just like these other traitors.” He declares with fire in his eyes.

The man’s eyes fall to the sword pointed inches from him, his breathing becoming shaky as he realizes the reality of the situation. He’s silent for another moment and Leon pulls his arm back to swing at the man, but freezes when he yells out in defeat.

“We worked for the councillors!” He cries loudly. Leon’s eyes widen as the man continues. “One of the other spies took him down to the dungeons to see them. They ordered us to bring him to them.” He explains.

The knight stares at the man in silence for a couple of seconds, trying to decide whether the man is truthful or not. He clenches his jaw, deciding that right now it’s his best option and sheathes his sword with a swift movement. The guard releases a breath from the ground and sits up shakily, only to fall back to the ground abruptly when Leon knocks him out cold with another hit. The knight breathes heavily as he stares at the man for a few more seconds, walking to pick up Cloud’s sword and start heading for the dungeon.

* * *

Cloud grunts quietly as the traitor leads him to one of the doors to the dungeon, turning to the King and giving him a stoic glare.

The blond matches his look, looking at the door and then the way the guard’s hand rests on the hilt of his sword. He looks away and removes the key to the door, unlocking it and swinging the heavy wood open with a loud creak. Cloud steps inside cautiously, blinking into the dark room. There’s a small torch lit by the front of the room, giving a faint glow. The King turns behind him as the door closes and then releases a quiet breath, looking to the councillor sitting on the ground against the wall further in the room. He’s got a metal cuff wrapped around his ankle that is chained to the wall. It’s the one who found Cloud in his father’s room. He must be their leader.

His eyes meet the blond’s and the man smirks lazily. “Well, that didn’t last long did it?” The councillor asks quietly.

The King says nothing, his mouth feeling bitter as the man continues. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by your actions. Your father attempted the same thing after all,” the councillor recalls quietly, letting his gaze trail around the room. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the rotting tree.”

Cloud’s frown deepens and he starts towards the councillor with his jaw tense. He pauses when the man starts speaking to him. “Ah ah, let’s not be rash now, shall we?” The man asks, glancing at the door behind him. “If you make too much of a commotion the guard might come in here to defend me.”

“That man is nothing more than a traitor,” the King bites out, clenching his fists tightly at his side.

The councillor cocks his head to the side, his eyes lighting up with amusement. “Ah, yes finding out those who swear themselves to you have betrayed you must hurt, Your Grace.” He muses. “I’ll tell you something: there’s many more of them as well.”

Cloud swallows thickly, releasing a laboured breath in fear.

“Yes, that’s what I like seeing. A man who knows that he’s lost.” The councillor gloats. “So, if you would use that vacant brain of yours and unchain us, perhaps we can begin to discuss your punishment.”

“My punishment?” Cloud asks skeptically. “You’re the one who committed numerous acts of treason.”

“I could have you killed where you stand.” The councillor retorts, his eyes narrowing in anger.

The blond steps closer to the councillor, staring down at the man with a cold gaze. “If you kill me, all of your crimes become confirmed to the public and you will all die for treason.” He challenges.

“What does it matter then? The entire royal bloodline will have been destroyed. No one would know the truth.”

“My brothers live,” Cloud states proudly. “Even if I am to die here today, they will return to this land and free it from your tyranny.”

“My…the grief has driven you to madness.” The councillor murmurs to himself, shaking his head. “It’s as if I’m staring at your father from years ago.”

The King shakes his head back and forth. “The difference between me and my father is I am prepared to risk everything to protect my people and this land.”

“You say that now, but how will you react when you are faced with the choice?” The councillor asks him with a knowing tone.

Cloud swallows thickly and his attention turn to the door when he hears a yell from behind it. Another yell followed by silence, then a rough sound from outside makes the blond gulp nervously. He watches with fear as the door opens, then Cloud’s eyes widen when he realizes it’s Leon standing there. The knight holds his own sword at his side, the blade stained with blood.

Leon stares at him as he pants heavily, a mixture of dried and fresh blood smeared on his face with supporting bruising. The King almost brings a hand to his mouth as his emotions flare up, giving Leon a weary but relieved expression. He’s about to say something when the councillor speaks first.

“Ah, the young knight.” He says casually. “So good of you to join us.”

Leon stares at the man with an icy expression before turning to Cloud and reaching for the King. “You need to get out of here, now.” He says lowly as he holds the blond’s blade out to him.

Cloud seems to be in somewhat of a shock still, nodding his head absentmindedly and grabbing his sword before he and the knight begin to exit the dungeon.

“Leaving so soon? Oh Cloud, you really are a cold man.” The councillor comments.

The King pauses in his tracks, turning around to glare at the man.

“You’ll need to be taught some manners indeed. Soon enough.” The councillor says with an eerie smile.

The King says nothing further, turning back around and exiting the room while locking it behind them. When they’re out of the dungeon and running up the stairs, Cloud speaks.

“Where’s Aerith?” He asks in a hurry.

Leon pauses at the top of the stairs to check the hallway. “In your room still.” He replies in a hushed tone before running out with Cloud behind him. He doesn’t like the thought of her being alone, feeling his anxieties pick up once more as they return to his room. It takes much too long for his liking to get there, his chest out fire and lungs craving air as they approach the door.

Cloud unlocks it when Leon passes him his key, shoving the door open with his shoulder and scanning his room. A spike of fear shoots down his spine when he doesn’t spot Aerith.

He starts walking towards his bathing room, calling the girl’s name. When he doesn’t see her in there either, Cloud feels the panic begin to build at an alarming speed.

“Aerith?” He questions. When no response comes, the King shouts louder. “Aerith!?” The blond cries out loudly.

Again with no response comes an even greater sense of doubt and uncertainty from within Cloud, trying to swallow the thick lump in his throat making it tough to breath at the moment.

“Cloud!” He hears Leon call to him faintly. The King turns around sharply, crossing the distance back into his room and sees the knight standing outside on the balcony. He approaches the man quickly, standing next to him and freezing when he realizes what’s going on.

The people he ordered to leave the castle are all still crowded in the front gardens, their voices loud as they yell atop one another. Then Cloud sees the gathering of castle guards and royal guards at a stand still with one another, their weapons drawn on each other but no one seems to want to attack.

Then Cloud looks to the top platform above the steps to the castle and he sees her.

She’s standing perfectly still, her hands bound behind her back while one of the traitors points a sword to her back.

Cloud freezes, his entire body feeling like it’s been chilled to the core within a matter of seconds. People in the crowd start to realize he’s standing above them, pointing up at him and calling his name. Their voices begin to die down in apprehension and even the traitors and the royal guards stop to stare up at him.

The guard with the sword to Aerith looks up at Cloud as the crowd falls silent and then he watches as the brunette does the same. The blond feels like he’s going to collapse, staring at her passive face as the guard holding her hostage suddenly calls to him.

“King Cloud! Release the councillors or Lady Aerith dies right here!” The man calls.

Cloud stares at the scene, unable to speak or move.

“Don’t do it Cloud!” Aerith yells into the silence. A moment later the guard turns his sword flat, demanding the brunette shut her mouth.

The King seems to only be able to breath at the moment, feeling his chest rising with every constricted breath that passes through him. He feels himself start to crack, his sword dropping from his hand to the ground.

“Aerith…” He says quietly, staring at the girl as his eyesight begins to blur.

She meets his gaze from where she stands and though there’s a great distance between them, Cloud can somehow feel the warmth in her gaze. The tenderness that she’s always given him despite his wrongdoings towards her.

The brunette turns her head back to stare at the crowd and suddenly her voice is loud, cutting through the silence with her powerful words. “I will die knowing my King has done what’s best for his people and not allowing the councillor's terror to win. Long live King Cloud!”

As she says the words Cloud nearly calls out for the guard to stop, watching the man pull his arms back. The King doesn’t look away, couldn’t even if he wanted to, as the sword comes closer to her.

And it stabs into her back with a swift movement.

He doesn’t look away as the blade sticks out of the other side of her. Even as her dark blood quickly blossoms from the spot where she was stabbed and it stains her pretty pink dress. Even as she looks down at the sword emerging from her chest and her shaking hands come to rest atop of it.

Even as members of the royal guard begin to react first, yelling out and starting to kill the traitors for treason. Even as the fighting starts again and Aeleus runs to the guard who stabbed Aerith and cuts him down seconds later. Even as the brunette’s knees finally buckle and she falls to the ground, her body collapsing to the stone with a rough movement and her head impacting it with a bang. Even as the crowd erupts in madness, people screaming and attempting to join in the fighting.

Cloud doesn’t look away. Couldn’t even if he wanted to.

Nothing seems to be making sense anymore, the blond losing control of his actions and beginning to fall. He feels Leon’s arms supporting him, keeping the blond somewhat upright as the knight pulls him back into his room. In the next moment he’s detaching himself from the knight and on his knees, letting out a gut-wrenching cry.

Leon is at his side once more, grabbing the King by the shoulder’s and pulling him close even as Cloud cries like a newborn child. He’s loud and pitiful, wailing into the man’s neck while Leon brings a hand to the back of his head and lets out his own quiet sobs.

They stay like that for a long time.

* * *

Cloud blinks his dazed eyes with slow movements as he descends into the dungeon. Leon trails behind silently in tow, the knight not having left his side for the remainder of the day. Even once the traitors had been slain and the crowd was dispersed, Leon remained with Cloud at all times. He didn’t say much unless Cloud spoke to him and until minutes ago they were in his room together, still in shock from what happened.

The blond grabs a torch hanging off of the walls and descends down the dark hallway quietly, his eyes fixated on the one he was brought to earlier. When he’s in front of the door, Cloud pauses, looking down for a moment before he glances at Leon.

“Stay here. I want you to keep watch.” He orders with a strained voice.

Leon simply nods his head with a blink, watching as the blond retrieves the dungeon keys. He unlocks the door slowly and pushes it open, stepping into the room carefully.

The councillor meets his gaze within seconds, a smug smirk coming to his face.

“Judging by that expression, our men got the job done.” The man says.

“She was an innocent woman.” Cloud states quietly, his throat feeling tight for the millionth time today.

The councillor shakes his head back and forth. “A consequence for your disobedience. It’s a shame really, she was a wonderful lady.”

“ _You_ killed her.” The King bites out, stepping closer to the man with fury in his eyes.

“No, Your Grace. You did.” The councillor retorts.  “You knew what would happen if you tried to betray us.”

Cloud feels a bitter laugh play at his lips, shaking his head back and forth and his mouth curls up to the side. “Perhaps the grief has caused me to go mad.” He murmurs quietly.

The councillor gives the King a suspicious look, ignoring his words. “Now you know what you must do. Release us at once.” The man orders.

The blond’s expressions falls once more, his eyes becoming glazed over as his voice returns to a calm one. “You’ve made it perfectly clear to me what I must do.” Cloud states, walking towards an empty torch placeholder and setting it down.

“The councillor’s era of corruption ends today.” The King states with his back to the man. “You are sentenced to die.”

The councillor is silent until Cloud turns to face him again, his eyes darting to the King. A fear starts to work its way into the man’s gaze and he strains against the chains attaching him to the wall.

“You cannot execute us without a fair trial!” The man shouts in disbelief, his expression bewildered.

The blond steps closer to the councillor. “Your spies executed Aerith in the front gardens and the crime was witnessed by hundreds today councillor. There’s no need for a trial.” He explains quietly, stopping just feet in front of him.

The man stares up at Cloud with terror in his eyes, the King’s words sinking in as he realizes what is going to happen. The blond kneels down to his eye level, staring at him with a hard gaze as neither of them speak. Cloud stares into the councillor's shocked expression, watching the man's panic begin to grow and his breathing becomes ragged. A moment later the King rises, beginning to turn and start walking towards the torch.

The councillor’s voice calls out to him shakily, Cloud hearing the fear weeping into his tone. “Y-Your Grace!” He exclaims in a panic. “If you walk out of this cell without unchaining me I will see that your death is slow and gruesome! I can promise you that right now.” He snarls out, rattling his chains as he yells fiercely.

Cloud stares at the burning flames of the torch, his attention focused on the light. A release of breath and the King speaks again.

“How unfortunate for you councillor. You won’t live long enough to see me leave this cell.” He says, reaching for his sword and unsheathing the blade with a quiet sound. When he turns to look at the man, the councillor starts breathing shallowly, trying to back away from Cloud as far as he can.

“Stay away! I’ll have you torn to pieces!” The man threatens weakly.

The King crosses the distance between them quickly, silencing the man’s yells with a quick execution and watching his body fall still. The man let’s out a silent cry as his body collapses, his mouth hung open with shock.

Cloud stares at him for a moment longer, the smallest amount of relief coming somewhere from within him. He sheathes his sword and grabs the torch, exiting the dungeon room and meeting Leon’s serious gaze. The knight doesn’t say anything as Cloud passes him the torch and begins stepping towards the next room, repeating the cycle until all of the men have been executed. He doesn’t let Leon participate when the knight offers to take some of the burden off of him, unable to allow the brunet to do such a thing. He does it because he knows it is his responsibility to accept the harshness of his actions.

There’s only one room left and Cloud pauses in front of it, feeling the most nervous as he opens the door. When his eyes rest on Yen Sid he sees the old man’s eyes open slowly, staring at Cloud with a relaxed expression on his face.

“Your Grace,” the man murmurs, bowing his head politely.

Cloud stares at the man and a sadness starts to build inside of him the longer he does. “My father trusted you,” he says quietly. He thinks his voice cracks a little bit as the words leave his mouth.

The old man's eyes become guilty. “I know he did, Your Grace.” Yen Sid responds.

“And you betrayed him by working with those men. You knew about my mother, didn't you?”

The man closes his eyes and nods his head. “I did. My dishonour to your father and mother is my biggest regret.” He admits softly.

Cloud’s breath gets stuck in his throat as his grip on his sword tightens. “How could you!?” He asks. "You swore yourself to my father, but you stood by and did nothing knowing his wife would die!?"

Yen Sid stares at the King with a remorseful expression. “Your Grace, nothing I could say would ever justify my actions. The councillors also killed your father and I knew they were going to do it, yet I did nothing.”

The blond’s face twists into that one pain and he steps back, feeling a sob choke from within him. “No!” He bites out. It's as if he's been pushed, putting distance between them.

“They poisoned him Your Grace,” Yen Sid reveals quietly. “If I told him about their plans, the councillors would have killed me next.”

Cloud clenches his eyes shut and turns away as the man continues. “I should have let them kill me, but I was fearful of their power. And now I must pay for my crimes,” Yen Sid says.

"Tell me..." The blond starts, his voice shaky. "What did they do to Eclipsis that caused my father to try and overthrow them?"

"It is a long and dark tale, Your Grace. The councillors sought to gain political control of the country after the war, taking a hold of their people and their resources. As generations passed, they imposed more and more sanctions upon the people. The Kings of the land were never able to do anything about it, because their armies had been nearly destroyed by ours."

Cloud gives the man a long, hard stare and Yen Sid pauses. "The councillors have been hiding these secrets from everyone on the Islands for some time now." He explains. "The people living in that country are treated like slaves as a result of the councillor's influence. They provide us with over half of our Islands profits and a large portion of our food, water, even weapons."

The blond feels his expression turning guarded as Yen Sid continues. "That is what your father fought to resist. He wanted to get rid of those sanctions and let the country finally heal from the wounds of the war so long ago. A true treaty of peace, not one made of years upon years of corruption and lies. But when he did, the councillor's killed your mother and he went nearly mad that night."

Cloud turns away and walks close towards the wall of the dungeon, his balance feeling overthrown and leans against the stone heavily. Suddenly he's sixteen again, on his knees in the middle of the night in the throne room. The memories he's worked so hard to repress come back to him like his attempts to block them out never existed in the first place. Sora and Roxas are next to him, the brunet letting out hushes cries as Roxas tries to coax him. When the younger blond whispers something to him their father brings his hand back and strikes Roxas across the face. The younger blond's head snaps in the direction he was hit, then he is still even as Sora cries a little bit louder.

"Your Grace?" Yen Sid calls to him quietly. His voice jolts Cloud back to the present, still facing away from the man and leaning against the wall.

"Why didn't he do anything about Sora?" The blond asks, his voice strained.

There's a moment of silence before the man speaks. "He was going to. The night of his death, he wanted to send a ship to Eclipsis."

Cloud shakes his head back and forth. "I don't understand!" He calls out furiously, turning back to Yen Sid. "Was he a good man or not!? You tell me that he tried to be a good King, but all I ever saw of the man was someone who didn't care for his wife's death or his son's disappearance! Now you tell me he really tried to be the honourable man who wanted to protect his family?"

He breathes heavily after the words have escaped him and Yen Sid stares at him for a moment. "Your Grace, it is not for me to tell you how you should view the man. No one, not even a King, is free from wickedness. However, you said yourself, all the man ever wanted was peace. Do you truly believe that?" He asks. 

The King shakes head head, not having a definitive answer. Cloud purses his lips as another silence reigns over the room, breathing quietly and wiping at his eyes hastily. Finally, he speaks again. “If you have any last words, now is the time.” He chokes out.

The old man stares at him thoughtfully for a moment before nodding his head. “You did the right thing, Your Grace. You did what many a man could not, including myself and your father. Your reign shall be magnificent.” Yen Sid says gently. “And I hope one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me for my cowardliness.” He finishes.

Cloud winces at his words, feeling more tears begin to escape him as he flexes his grip on his sword. He steps closer to Yen Sid, beginning to raise the blade to the man. He watched Yen Sid bow his head in acceptance, waiting for the blow to come. Moments pass and it doesn’t, causing the old man to open his eyes slowly and look up to see the King holding his sword up but not making a move to strike him.

“Your Grace?” The old man asks him carefully.

Cloud tries to contain himself, hearing sharp inhales or sniffles come from him in their silence before he lowers his arm at his side once more. The King moves with a sudden jerk of movement, sheathing his blade without another word and then turns around. He walks to the door and pauses when he’s on the other side, grabbing the door handle and slamming it closed as he stalks out of the dungeon with Leon following behind quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on out we will primarily focus on Roxas' story. I can't wait to give you guys the ending ♡


	18. End In Sight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I present to you: the semi-final chapter of this story. Hope you enjoy ♡

Roxas looks at his feet as he walks, focusing on Axel’s legs stepping in front of him and attempting to not let his clouded mind accidently cause him to stumble. Riku is by his side as well, the knight staying silent as the redhead leads them through the streets of Dark City. They’ve already dropped their horses off at a stable for the night and are now looking for a place to stay. There’s lots of people outside right now; various groups huddled outside of taverns and other buildings. Occasionally, the Prince hears men yelling at each other, or the sounds of people scrapping with one another. But he keeps his head down like Axel suggested, worried that if he looks at someone the wrong way they might take it as a bad sign an approach him.

It's such an oddly aggressive atmosphere, being surrounded by so much commotion at such a late hour. Roxas finds it easier to see why Axel called this place rather unpleasant, especially when he hears gruff voices of men trying to heckle them as they walk by. The blond makes sure he doesn’t acknowledge them in any way, swallowing thickly whenever someone tries to talk to them.

“Axel, we’ve passed several inns already. Where are we going?” Riku asks the man in a hushed tone as they round a corner into a darker street. There are a few torches hanging up against buildings and a gathering of them near the end of the street where a larger stone building stands. Roxas spares a quick glance towards it when he hears lots of voices coming from the area, but isn’t able to make out much from where they stand.

The redhead doesn’t turn around as he responds. “If anyone sees the likes of you two going into an inn, they’d be tailing you instantly. Probably just rob you at the luckiest.” He mutters.

“What are you talking about? We haven’t done anything.” Riku responds.

The sounds of voices are getting louder as they come closer to the building. Roxas hears soft music playing from within, then a loud laughing from a man.

“These guys can spot a traveller from a mile away and they’re always hungry for anything to steal.” Axel explains. “You would make an easy target. Now shut it, we’re almost there.” He finishes.

Riku obeys, falling silent as they approach the building. Roxas looks up at it finally, his eyes scanning over the tall structure. It had to be three or four stories high, the large building appearing like it’s running in full swing. He hears lots of voices coming from within, and lots of the windows are lit up.

“What is this place?” Roxas asks quietly as they approach the door.

Axel doesn’t respond as he grabs the handle, turning it and stepping inside. As soon as they enter, there’s a pair of men standing in front of drawn curtains with several weapons tucked into their belt. Roxas wonders if they’re supposed to be guards, or perhaps just hired protection. They glance towards the three of them as they step inside, but don’t move or saying anything.

“You guys are new,” Axel comments towards the men. Roxas purses his lips at being ignored by the redhead, staying silent as the older man approaches the curtains. The two men don’t say anything as Axel parts the light fabric and he walks further into the building.

Riku and Roxas share a confused look before they step forward as well, following behind the redhead. As they cross the threshold, Roxas’ eyes widen when he immediately sees various women sitting on the laps of men in the large room on couches. Some of them are partially undressed, their top halves exposed and causing the blond to avert his eyes immediately. Looking to the right he sees a woman being lifted up by a man, her eyes full of amusement as she wraps her legs around the man’s waist. Roxas has to shift his gaze again after the man starts bringing her towards a door and looks to Riku with a stricken look.

The knight looks to be rather uncomfortable as well, not allowing his gaze to settle anywhere in the room for a long time before he looks to the ceiling. “I’m going to kill that stupid mercenary.” He mutters.

Roxas glances around the room quickly, trying to locate where Axel already managed to sneak off to already. The blond can’t help but agreeing with Riku, his mind already beginning to jump to conclusions as to why Axel would bring them here. It isn’t difficult to make the most obvious assumption that the redhead would want to stay at a place like this, then Roxas finds his temper beginning to grow as he scans around the room for Axel.

The Prince flinches a little when a gentle touch rests on his shoulder and as he glances to his right, he sees nothing but feels the finger trailing to his opposite shoulder. Roxas looks to his other side quickly, his eyes wide with surprise as a girl walks around in front of him, staring at the blond with a playful glint in her green eyes. She looks him up and down as her hand comes to rest on his shoulder.

“Oh my, such a handsome boy.” She coos to him, letting her hand brush against his shoulder gently. She’s got shoulder length brown hair that flips upwards at the end. A sleeveless yellow dress hangs from her petite body with a belt cinching her waist.

Roxas parts his lips but no words come out, his body feeling still and uncomfortable. She cocks her head to the side, a grin tugging at the edge of her lips. “And shy too? A rare sight in here.”

After she’s done speaking she seems to notice Riku, and perks up again. “Oh my! And another there as well,” she starts, looking back to Roxas again with a quiet giggle. “What are two wide-eyed dolls like you doing in a place like this?” She asks huskily.

The Prince stares at her with a stunted expression, still feeling taken aback by the girl’s forwardness even as her hand trails down the front of his chest.

“There you are!” Axel’s voice calls from across the room. Roxas looks up towards the man’s voice and the girl hanging from him does as well, staring at the redhead curiously.

A moment later the girl lets out an excited noise, her hand falling from Roxas’ chest as she turns to face him fully. “Axel!” She cries excitedly, dashing towards the man. The Prince stares at her retreating form with a relieved expression, watching the peppy girl call to Axel sweetly. Roxas glares at Riku when the knight gives him a small smirk.

“Thanks for helping me there,” the Prince bites out quietly as he watches the brunette reach Axel and throw her arms around his neck. The blond feels a scowl form on his face as Axel’s hands rest on the small of her back and pulls her close, grinning as he says something low into her ear.

“What, you needed protection from that girl?” Riku asks back, still clearly amused. He starts walking towards the two and Roxas watches with his feet planted firmly in place. His glare is now focused on the back of the silver-haired teen’s head and he only starts following behind the knight when he sees another girl across the room giving him a very interested look.

As Roxas approaches, the brown-haired girl is still attached to Axel and staring up at the man with her attention completely focused on him as he speaks quietly to her. The redhead glances up to the Prince and then his hands drop from the brunette’s waist and he stares at Roxas for a moment.

The blond feels his eyes narrow further in response. Axel starts speaking, introducing them to the girl. “This is Selphie. Selphie, these are travellers I’m escorting for a contract.” He explains simply, gesturing to them. “Riku and Roxas.”

The brunette giggles and detaches herself from Axel, moving towards Riku who glances at the girl apprehensively as she approaches him. Selphie runs a finger along one of his breast plates, staring up at him. “My, I’ve never seen such beautiful hair. It’s like you were kissed by the moon.” She says lowly.

Riku does a good job of forcing a smile onto his face and relaxing with the brunette. “You’re too kind Selphie.” He murmurs back.

She catches her bottom lip in her teeth excitedly and then turns to Roxas again, grabbing one of his hands with both of hers and placing it above her chest. “Oh, my apologies for my manners just now. It’s just…” She pauses, looking at Axel again and smiling widely. “Well I haven’t seen Axel in some time.”

Roxas stares at Axel as well, an involuntary skeptical look coming to the Prince’s face. The redhead looks from Selphie to Roxas, then raises an eyebrow in somewhat of a challenge to the blond.

“Selphie, I brought these two here in hopes that we could stay for the night. You know how well travellers fare around here.” Axel says, shrugging his shoulders at the girl.

She stares at him thoughtfully, then nods her head quickly. “That’s not a problem,” she starts, turning back to Roxas. She drops his hand and then grasps the collar of his shirt gently, stroking her thumb along his collar bone slowly. “Especially for such fine-looking travellers as yourselves.” She purrs, winking at Roxas.

The blond is caught in a web of different emotions such as bewilderment and frustration, but simply allows himself to be grabbed by Selphie and lead towards one of the unoccupied couches.

“I will go arrange something for you, stay right here.” She tells them, blowing Riku a kiss as she saunters further into the room and towards a hallway. It’s only when she’s fully disappeared that Roxas’ gaze turns to Axel sharply, and he’s about to lose it when the redhead stalks up to him and gives the Prince a stern look.

“Sit back down and have a glass of wine.” Axel hisses to him quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder and forcing him down. Roxas’ vision goes a little dizzy at the quick movement, blinking and seeing Axel retrieve a carafe and pouring a cup of wine. He thrusts it into the blond’s hand without a word and works to pour another one. Riku glares at the redhead when the man raises the cup to his lips, rolling his eyes at being purposely overlooked and sitting next to Roxas empty handed.

Roxas sets the cup down on a small table next to the couch. “You brought us to a _whorehouse_.” He bites back in a hushed manner. “Why would you bring us to a place like this!?” He asks.

Axel takes another big drink and gives the Prince an annoyed look. “People don’t follow you into a place like this. And the armoured guys out front are an added help too.” He points out. “So, shut up, drink your wine and wait for Selphie to return.”

“What about our plans?” The blond asks stubbornly.

Axel rolls his eyes as he takes another drink. “We’ll talk about it in the morning when you can stand without swaying.” He mutters. “Leave it to a Prince and his knight to get drunk on a stakeout you were so worried about.”

Roxas grits his teeth, getting ready to stand up and toss his wine in the man’s face. He sees Riku giving him a hard gaze in the corner of his eye, the silver-haired teen crossing his arms to get his message across. So, the Prince huffs and tears his eyes from Axel in resignation, taking a small drink from his cup. His first thought is that it’s so much better than anything he’s already consumed tonight, and the second is that he probably shouldn’t drink this because it tastes quite good. Roxas finishes it rather quickly and stares at the half empty carafe, debating if he should fetch another serving.

Selphie returns from the hallway with two other girls following behind her moments later. They approach the three of them and the two girls he doesn’t recognize grab Riku and Axel’s hand, beginning to lead them to their rooms. Selphie grabs the Prince by the hand last, bringing him to the hallway and walking up a set of stone stairs. Roxas hears faint moaning when they pass some of the closed doors and the blond feels his nerves beginning to grow.

He sees the other girls leading Riku and Axel to their rooms and before long Selphie is walking into one with its door open. The brunette presents it to Roxas with a sweep of her free hand. “Here we are, love.” She says softly, letting go of him and walking further into the room.

The Prince lets his gaze trail around the surprisingly large room, decorated with various furniture and artwork on the walls. There’s a circular bed towards the middle of the room and a few small tables with various wines atop of them. Chairs and couches are lined up along the room and an open balcony overlooks part of the city. Roxas can hear faint voices coming from outside.

He doesn’t watch as Selphie pours him a cup of wine, only looking to her when the girl’s voice calls to him. “My, you have such sad eyes.” She comments, pausing in front of him and holding the wine to the Prince.

Roxas looks at it for a moment, deciding it would be rude to not accept the drink and takes it from her. Even if she just made an oddly intrusive statement.

He sips the alcohol, shaking his head. “Perhaps you’re confusing sadness for exhaustion,” he suggests, walking further into the room towards one of the couches.

Selphie turns to him, cocking her head to the side playfully. She follows behind him, standing in front of where he sits. “A witty boy,” she comments. “But your drunken stupor reveals more than your words.”

Roxas raises his head to meet her gaze, feeling like he severely underestimated this girl initially. “You sound like the witty one,” he murmurs back as he glances to the side.

The brunette lets out a quiet giggle and tugs the cup Roxas is holding from him. She takes a hefty drink, then sets to cup down on the table. “Reading men is one of my many talents,” she explains, stepping towards the Prince.

The blond gulps, feeling a little uneasy with the way she says that. “A-ah, yes I suppose that comes with the territory.” He mumbles, feeling his face flush after the words leave his mouth.

She laughs a little louder this time, reaching for the Prince’s hands and pulling him upright. He sways a little as she does it and Selphie rests a hand on his arm to steady the blond.

“I can tell when a man is experiencing heartbreak too,” she says to him lowly. Roxas blinks at her in confusion as she turns them around and starts edging him backwards. He lets out a quiet yell of surprise when she pushes him backwards all of a sudden and he lands on the mattress with a bounce.

Selphie leans down overtop of him, crawling over his frozen body slowly. The mattress dips with her weight as she advances, lowing herself close to Roxas. The Prince can smell a flowery fragrance coming from her skin this close. “Tell me Roxas, why did you break Axel’s heart?” She asks with a pout.

“What!?” Roxas yells out instinctively, sitting up and throwing Selphie off of him. She yelps in surprise as she rolls onto the mattress, pushing herself back up and staring at the Prince curiously. “Where’d you get _that_ from?” He demands.

“An oblivious little thing you must be,” she comments with a flick of her hair. “I could tell from the moment he hugged me he was in distress.”

Roxas shakes his head, ignoring the dizziness that follows as a result and stands up, walking towards one of the windows. Who did this girl think she was? And where did such crazy ideas even stem from in her mind?

“And such a reaction like that can only make me wonder how you feel towards him,” Selphie comments.

The blond feels a small panic begin to creep into him at her words. “Nothing.” He grits out in response. “He’s a man.”

“Judgement is something you won’t find behind these walls,” the brunette says calmly. Roxas looks up at her sharply, then stares at a painting hanging on one of the walls across the room as silence falls between them.

“He’s an imbecile.” The blond finally bites out quietly, not looking at the girl as he says it.

“Mm, clever with his words but weak with his heart. I can see why you two would clash,” Selphie muses aloud. “You’re both very similar.”

Roxas’ eyes widen at her words and he turns to her. “You don’t make any sense,” he criticizes.

The brunette laughs quietly, standing up from the bed and walking towards Roxas. “Or maybe I make perfect sense.” She suggests with a shrug. Her hand comes to rest on his shoulder lightly and he stiffens again. “Take a girl’s word of advice Roxas. Men like Axel, like you, they play tug of war with each other because they are scared,” she starts.

“I’m _not_ scared.” Roxas declares sternly, narrowing his eyes. “Especially not of Axel.”

Selphie drops her arm and stands back. “Stubborn too. My, it just keeps adding up,” she says with a light shake of her head.

The blond crosses his arms in front of him in annoyance, not sure if he enjoys being around this girl and her analyzing tendencies. “How do you know him?” He asks.

Selphie’s eyes light up a little bit, making the Prince feel as though she’s read through his intentions like an open book. “Axel has worked for us several times when issues arise here. He’s one of the best mercenaries I’ve ever met; always gets the job done no matter what.” She explains.

Roxas doesn’t say anything else, staring at the girl apprehensively as she walks back to the cup of wine she poured him earlier, taking a sip. Selphie looks down at the cup for a moment before meeting the Prince’s gaze from across the room. “Or maybe you’d like it better if I told you he’s never utilized our services here.” She adds with an upwards curl of her mouth.

He’s just about had enough of her comments, feeling a scowl work its way onto his face. “I appreciate your hospitality Selphie, but I’d like to get some rest now.” He says.

The brunette holds his gaze a few seconds longer before lowering her cup to the table again and approaching Roxas. The Prince holds his ground, giving Selphie an icy stare as she pauses in front of him.

“Of course, love.” She says softly, stepping into his personal space. He flinches as she rests her hand on his cheek. “Just know that when a prideful man gets hurt, it takes patience for him to let his guard down again.”

Roxas really works to digest the words she says, not finding it so difficult to see that point of view considering that’s close to how he acts when someone hurts him. It’s annoying having this girl meet him and instantly pick him apart within minutes, but he would be a liar to deny there’s truth to her words.

Selphie starts walking towards the door, pausing when she’s passed it and turning to Roxas. “If you’re not scared of him, give up the rope a little. _Show_ him he doesn’t scare you.” She purrs.

The blond stares at Selphie with a grim expression as she exits the room and then stays in place, glaring like she’s still there. He definitely underestimated her intelligence and it doesn’t help that he isn’t in the sharpest states of mind right now. Roxas hears her words replay in his head and then clenches his fist experimentally, turning to the balcony and staring out at the city to avert his attention. However, within five minutes of him hearing Selphie's word in his head, he cracks and decides to deal with this now. Letting his impulse take over, Roxas starts towards the hallway. The Prince walks down it and locates Axel’s room easily, a new confidence growing from within him.

He knocks on the door a few times, staring at the wood with a determined expression. Roxas gulps when the handle clicks and the door swings backwards to reveal Axel standing there, giving the blond a questioning expression. But before he can say anything, the Prince points a stiff finger at the older man’s chest and glares at him as he speaks, his words a bit sloppy.

“I’m not scared of you!” Roxas barks out at the man.

Axel’s eyes narrow a bit after the words leave his mouth, sizing the blond up. “How much exactly did you drink tonight?” He asks quietly.

The Prince rolls his eyes, not answering and pushing passed the older man to walk into his room. It’s pretty much an exact copy of his, save for a few different paintings of types of furniture around.

“Sure, just let yourself in.” Axel says casually, closing the door.

Roxas turns to him after he’s done looking at the room, then realizes he doesn’t have the slightest clue as to what he should say now. He gives the older man a pointed look and then Axel crosses his arms. The redhead raises an eyebrow at him, his mouth quirking downwards.

“What are you doing here Roxas?” The older man asks. The blond thinks he hears a hint of defeat in Axel’s words, wondering why.

“You came to see me last night like this,” the Prince starts. “I thought I’d return the favour.”

The older man’s eyes narrow in suspicion and he starts walking towards one of the couches, having a seat and reaching for a cup of wine resting on the adjacent table. “Yea and I seem to remember that playing out with you shooting me down and kicking me out. You want that favour returned as well?” He asks with an edge to his tone.

Roxas breaks eye contact, shifting his gaze to the side and shaking his head. “I didn’t shoot you down,” he murmurs sheepishly.

He looks to Axel again when the man lets out a quiet, bitter laugh. “No? What would you have called that then?” He asks.

The Prince grits his teeth. “Look, I don’t know what you _want_ from me exactly, but-“

The redhead leans his head back, his eyes falling closed as a frustrated noise escapes him. “Gods, for someone as smart as yourself, you’re a dumb shit at times.” He says.

Roxas takes a step closer to Axel, glaring at the man heatedly. “Say that again,” He warns lowly.

The older man’s head lowers, and his emerald eyes leer at Roxas for a couple of seconds in silence until Axel speaks clearly. “You’re a dumb shit.” He repeats himself.

“Yea!?” The Prince asks, feeling his anger surge instantly. Being drunk doesn’t do anything to inhibit the gut-reaction either, the blond stepping close to Axel as he yells. “Well if I’m a dumb shit, what does that make you then?” He asks, stopping in front of the older man. “Because _you’re_ the one pining after the Prince of a foreign land!”

After the words leave his mouth he sees Axel’s expression tense, but it doesn’t stop him. “I mean- what do you expect Axel!?” He asks. “That after all of this is done, we can continue to fool around behind closed doors and I can hide you in the castle like...like Sora hid that stupid injured bird and it will all be fine!?” He asks in a hoarse tone. 

They stare at each other in silence again after the words leave his mouth. The tension in the room is thick and heavy; weighing down on Roxas like a heavy blanket. He feels his chest rising heavily with each breath, waiting for Axel to say something in return. And he finally does, standing up and pausing in front of Roxas. So close that the blond has to look up to meet Axel’s gaze, feeling like he’s never seen the redhead’s eyes look so open.

“You managed to sneak out of your own kingdom after a ship lockdown, sail to a foreign land, escape several dangerous situations with your life and tomorrow you’re going to sneak into a castle to rescue your brother.” Axel says, his voice low and calm as he speaks. Then he pauses, swallowing thickly and his voice sounds brittle. “But _I’m_ where the line gets drawn?” He asks.

Roxas closes his eyes after the words leave the redhead’s mouth, feeling overwhelmed all of a sudden. It’s as if there’s oceans between the two of them now even though he can practically feel Axel’s body heat from how close he stands. It makes him have to take a step back, shaking his head back and forth slightly.

“My path has been laid out since the day I was born.” The Prince murmurs, still unable to open his eyes. “And it doesn’t involve you by my side now matter what you or I want.” He says.

Axel doesn’t say anything and Roxas doesn’t open his eyes, not trusting what he would do if he opened them and looked at the redhead’s expression. He turns around sharply, beginning to make his way back to his room with quiet footsteps.

Axel stays silent the entire time, even as the Prince closes his door quietly behind him.

* * *

The morning comes quickly and Roxas can say with certainty that he feels the worst today than he has compared to any other day in Eclipsis. The hangover and the memory of last night’s words with Axel do the Prince no favours, leaving him to groan quietly in his bed as he cracks an eye open towards the bright morning sky. He closes his eyes immediately after, bringing a hand to his forehead and rubbing the skin gently.

Riku comes by his room later, informing the Prince that there’s a bath ready for him down the hallway. He looks to be on edge, the knight’s mouth set in a tight line the entire time Roxas speaks with him. Not that Roxas can blame him in the slightest, because as soon as he picks up on the anxiety coming from Riku the Prince starts feeling it himself.

The feelings triples when it’s early afternoon and himself, Riku and Axel are gathered into one of the rooms. The redhead explains all of the plans in detail to them numerous times, telling them that everything they do needs to be done the way he describes and no differently. He even quizzes them both at one point to make sure the two teens were paying attention. It makes Roxas feel incredibly anxious, but he answers everything correctly.

The hard part for the rest of the day is the waiting. There’s still a lot of time to kill until they begin riding and Axel left the brothel shortly after they finished their strategizing, saying that he had a few things to do before they set off. Roxas had no intention of following him or wanting to even leave the building as strange as it sounds considering what kind of a place it is. But it’s safer inside and he doesn’t think there’s much out there that could distract him from thoughts of Sora.

Riku comes by his room again, the knight free from his armour. Axel told him he couldn’t wear it into the castle because it would slow him down and probably be too loud. Roxas was sure that the knight would have a problem with that, considering he practically always wears it when he fights, but Riku just nodded silently with a serious look on his face.

He glances at the knight with a passive expression as he approaches the small table Roxas sits at next to a window overlooking the street. The Prince nods at the free seat across from him when the knight is a few feet away, watching the silver-haired teen lower himself into the seat. His gaze slowly pulls itself back to the window overlooking the street and the two of them sit in silence for sometime before Riku speaks.

“I wanted to ask something of you before we set off today,” the knight says quietly.

Roxas blinks and turns his head to meet Riku’s sincere gaze. He looks as unsure as Roxas feels, but it somehow makes him feel a little bit better. “What is it?” He asks.

The silver-haired teen pauses with his mouth open slightly, then lowers his gaze and exhales quietly. “Don’t do anything reckless tonight.” Riku says.

The Prince feels a frown working its way onto his face, narrowing his gaze at Riku. The knight continues speaking before he gets a word in. “Roxas, I-“ he pauses. “You know I care for you like a brother, right?”

Roxas breaks eye contact, not even having to think twice about that. He’s felt the exact same way about the silver-haired knight for a long time. The blond gives a weak nod.

“Hey,” Riku says a bit sternly. It makes Roxas blink and gulp quickly before looking to the knight, seeing his determined gaze. “I mean it. You’re more of a family member than some of my closest relatives.”

“I know,” Roxas gets out quietly.

“Then please,” the knight begs him. “Don’t be rash. Don’t do anything to hurt yourself.”

The Prince looks down sharply, shaking his head and running his tongue over the roof of his mouth. “Stop it Riku. This whole journey has been rash and I’m here right now, aren’t I?” He grits out.

The knight shakes his head, not getting worked up in the slightest. His expression just looks guilty, like he’s about to break down. It makes Roxas unable to look away, being reminded of the night Riku came to the Prince’s room after finding out Sora had been kidnapped.

“I can’t rescue Sora only to have you taken from me in return,” Riku says to him. The knight reaches his hand out to grasp Roxas’ wrist gently. The blond looks down and then feels a lump start to form in his throat. He looks back up to Riku as the silver-haired teen continues. “I’d never forgive myself.”

Then Roxas almost pulls back sharply, but his vision becomes blurry and he uses his free hand to rub at his eyes hastily. Riku says nothing as the Prince sniffles a little bit, taking a shaky breath to steady himself. When he’s deemed himself suitable, he looks at Riku and then nods his head once.

“Okay,” he whispers. “I promise I won’t do anything reckless.”

And after Riku gets up and begins walking back to his own room to have a nap before they leave, Roxas can’t help but thinking that he doesn’t get enough credit at times. Because the Prince is so often told he’s not good at lying and he usually gets called out for it, especially by those who know him.

But right then he lied perfectly through his teeth and Riku suspected nothing out of the sort.

* * *

It’s a few hours before sundown when Axel returns with their horses and tells them it’s time to get going. It’s like Roxas has reached even higher levels of anxiety, but he grabs his bag filled with tomes and his last elixir tucked into his bag and mounts his horse without hesitation. The goodbye to Selphie is quick and Roxas doesn’t like the way she gives him a long stare when she says farewell to him. Riku thanks her for allowing him to leave his armour there until they return and the girl blows him a kiss in response. Axel salutes her after giving her a tight hug, telling her he’ll be back in no time to see her again.

Roxas swears that he hears a bit of uncertainty in the man’s tone.

The journey out of dark city is longer than the Prince would have liked, but eventually they reach the outskirts of the buildings and stare out towards the west plains. It’s filled with rolling hills that leads to a particularly large peak over the horizon. Roxas sees the sun starting to approach it in the distance and commands his horse to gallop after Axel and Riku when they advance towards it.

There’s a lot of different feelings in his head as Roxas rides towards their destination. A lot of fears and even more doubts. But there’s also hope; one that he keeps close because it’s something he’s learned from growing up with Sora. His twin always had hope, no matter what. It was a truly remarkable thing.

There’s also determination, because he can sense it when he looks to Riku; the knight staring towards the west horizon with his eyes focused in place and a rigid expression. Roxas knows that Riku would also do anything in his power to save Sora, even if it meant risking everything to do so. It’s something the two of them share.

The sun is setting as they reach the peak of the hill and Axel is the first to command his horse to stop, allowing the steed some time to rest as he stares over the horizon. Something about the way the redhead stares makes Roxas feel uneasy, only stopping his horse when he’s at the top as well. His horse lets out a cry at the jerk reaction of him stopping and the Prince pats it cooing out quietly to calm it. He pats the horse gently, feeling out of breath from the galloping and then freezes when his eyes dart across the land in front of them.

His eyes land on the far away castle immediately and every feeling inside of Roxas wilts away from within him like they’ve been burned to ashes. He’s left with nothing inside of him, barely registering anything else around as he takes in the large, black castle. It stands numerous stories tall, almost about as wide as it is. The castle forms a square-like pyramid as it reaches the top. It has a lot of pointed columns sticking upwards, looking sharp and giving an ominous look to it. There’s a stone wall that surrounds the entire castle and a small gate towards the front of it from the looks of it.

A new feeling of anger starts overcoming Roxas, his jaw tensing the longer he stares at the castle. He can feel both Riku’s and Axel’s eyes on him as he says nothing while he stares. The Prince’s chest is rising heavily as he starts to feel himself getting worked up, gritting his teeth harder and glaring at the building. In the next moment he’s grasping his reigns tightly, commanding his horse to start down the hill.

Roxas doesn’t tear his gaze from the castle for a single moment, not letting anything distract him. He hears Riku and Axel following behind him, but neither of them say anything as the Prince leads. By the times they get halfway to the castle the sun in fully passed the horizon and the skies have become much darker. There’s a little bit of red, orange and yellow hues left in the pocket of the west horizon, but darkness is enveloping the land quickly.

And once it’s finally dark out the castle is just but a silhouette against the night sky, Roxas feels intimidated approaching it. He pauses when Axel tells him to halt, tilting his chin up to stare at the large stone building. The redhead starts riding closer to the walls of the castle, riding alongside them tightly as he approaches the gate. He blends in against the dark stone, Roxas losing sight of him quickly.

“No guards on post like that guy told Axel,” Riku muses quietly. “Why would that be?”

Roxas can’t really think of an explanation for that, briefly remembering Axel telling the Prince that Xehanort only had a small army to begin with. But small enough that he didn’t have guards patrolling the outsides of the walls? Sure the castle was in a completely isolated place, but something about this just felt…off.

The Prince simply shakes his head back and forth in response, giving a small noise of acknowledgement. “It doesn’t look like there’s any along the inside of the castle watching post either.” Roxas adds.

Axel returns moments later, riding towards them and stopping his horse when he’s close. The redhead lowers himself from his steed and gathers his belongings, mainly consisting of weapons. Roxas can’t see very clearly, but he definitely catches sight of multiple knives and a newer looking sword that the redhead ties to his waist.

“Grab all your stuff and let’s go.” The redhead murmurs. “No where to tie the horses so don’t be surprised if they’re gone when we return.”

Roxas’ mind is completely in a different direction, so he could really care less about that when he normally would have called Axel stupid for not setting up a place to tie their horses. The adrenaline within him is simply too high to be focusing on that and so Roxas double checks he has all of his items ready and drops from his horse with a swift movement. Riku does the same and the three of them begin walking back to the area Axel came from.

No one speaks as they approach and the only sounds Roxas hears are the faint chirps of insects and occasionally a quiet bird call. Up against the stone wall there is shadows overcasting them as they walk and he pauses when Axel stops a few feet ahead of him, the redhead listening carefully.

After a few moments of silence, Roxas whispers quietly. “I don’t hear anything.”

“Have a little patience,” Axel whispers back, not turning and looking to the Prince as he says it. “We’ll hear him soon enough.”

Roxas crosses his arms and leans against the stone wall, feeling his heart beating steadily against his chest. It’s difficult to have patience right now, the blond slightly paranoid that the longer they stand in the shadows of the wall by the entrance that a swarm of guards will surround them in no time. He thinks he can hear his heartbeat in his ears and closes his eyes to try and calm his nerves in any way possible. Roxas hears the unsteadiness of his own breath every time he exhales, feeling like waiting in this silence is going to extend forever.

Minutes later, the Prince’s eyes snap open when he begins to hear faint music playing. He recognizes the instrument immediately; the familiar sounds of the strings being plucked echoing into the night.

“That’s the go ahead,” Axel says, nodding towards the entrance. He half turns to Roxas and Riku, giving them a single nod.

“Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last one is going to be a biggie!! just preparing you 😋
> 
> Also I actually really like Selphie, so me writing her as a prostitute was not a jab at her character. I thought it worked well for her in this context.


	19. Rebirth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well guys, this is it 😊 I'd advise you get comfy, grab a drink or some food. Cause this is by far the the longest chapter of the story.

They begin running from the shadows of the walls towards the entrance of the castle, which isn’t even secured with any kind of guards or gates. It’s like another warning sign goes off in Roxas’ head as they dash through the opening and start towards the right side of the castle, but he says nothing. Axel keeps them close to shadows as they move, pausing occasionally to listen for anyone nearby. Roxas can still hear the faint sounds of music playing from somewhere above them on the castle’s various posts, wondering how much time they’re going to have to get into the building. Axel told them it would be until his friend stopped playing his instrument, but that didn’t really give them much detail.

Roxas still feels uncertain about how trustworthy Axel’s friend really could be right now, but so far nothing stands in their way as the three stop at a corner of the castle and the redhead checks to make sure the other side is clear. So, maybe he’s just being overly cautious.

 _Demyx is…an interesting guy_ , Axel had said to them while explaining the plans earlier. _He’s a strong fighter, stronger than he looks, but he hates doing it. There’s no way he’d get us through the castle himself._

 _A mercenary who hates fighting?_ Roxas was surprised to hear such words. Why would he become a guard if he hated fighting in the first place?

 _Yea…the guy figured with a sweet, secluded area like this he’d never have to do any fighting. Can’t say he’s wrong, no one comes to the castle ever._ Axel explained without meeting the blond’s gaze. Roxas stared at the side of the redhead’s face for a few seconds afterwards, then lowered his eyes to the table as Riku urged Axel to continue explaining. The blond wanted to ask why, but stayed silent as the older man started speaking again.

They start sneaking towards the back of the castle and Roxas glances up at the moon rising in the east skies, the waning crescent beginning to make its way high into the darkness. Less than half of it is illuminated against the night and the Prince can’t help the pit forming inside of his stomach. It wouldn’t be long before the light was swallowed completely.

Axel stops in front of him again when they approach another corner, checking to see if there’s anyone nearby. He pulls back sharply and stays still for a moment behind the corner. Roxas hears the faint sounds of horses nearby, assuming there’s a stable nearby the back of the castle.

“What is it?” Riku whispers to him after they don’t continue.

“Two guards on post by the dungeon, just like Demyx said there would be.” Axel murmurs back. He shakes his head back and forth lightly. “I was hoping we could avoid a confrontation this early on,” he adds, cursing quietly.

Roxas shuffles inside of his bag, grabbing his thunder tome. “I can take care of them quietly.” He says.

The redhead gives the Prince a quick, apprehensive glance but nods. “Be quick, we won’t have a lot of time once we’re inside.” He says as he moves to let Roxas approach the corner.

The blond nods, ignoring the urge to tell Axel that he _knows that_ , because the redhead said that to him and Riku plenty of times today. He steps forward, peeking out around the corner and seeing the silhouettes of two guards standing post in front of the back entrance to the castle. Roxas holds his thunder tome tightly to his chest as he starts reciting a spell, using his free hand to rotate his wrist in a slow, circular motion with his finger pointing towards the guards. He can hear small sounds of static build up at the tip of his digit as he nears the end of the spell and once he finishes, a thin bolt of lighting shoots from his finger. It hits the guard closer to Roxas in the neck and immediately, the man dropping his spear and falling to the ground with a stiff movement. The Prince watches the other guard turn to his fallen comrade with a surprised sound and then Roxas calls out another attack instantly and the second one goes down in the same fashion.

He turns back to Axel and Riku, giving them a nod and allowing the redhead to take the lead again. As they pass by the fallen guards, Roxas sees their bodies cramped and tight on the ground and twitching every couple of seconds. They look up at him with shock in their faces, unable to move as they run by. The Prince scowls at the paralyzed men, finding it hard to feel remorse as they enter into the castle and are met with stairs leading downwards.

There’s a hanging torch at the side of the entrance so Axel grabs it. Looking down, Roxas sees that it’s completely dark at the bottom and swallows thickly. He follows Axel’s quiet footsteps, trying to focus on breathing and not letting the fear consume him. Once they are at the bottom Axel pauses, holding out the torch in front of him in different directions to survey the area. The sound of the fire licking the air surrounds them and Roxas hears it like it’s next to his ear. It’s so eerily quiet in this pitch black area, Roxas almost expects someone to jump out from the shadows and attack him.

Axel ends up stepping right, beginning to walk down the narrow, stone hallway. Riku and Roxas follow behind, the three of them moving quickly down the hallway in silence. The sounds of their footsteps echo into the dead hallway and Roxas has to actively try and ignore the prickling feeling behind his neck. Eventually they come to another corner and Axel pauses to look before going around it.

Part way down Roxas sees a different entryway and his eyes widen as he sees the various wooden doors lined along the narrow hallway. “This is the dungeon.” He murmurs quietly. After the words sink in, he begins rushing towards it.

 _Demyx said Sora has been kept in the dungeons. He never saw the kid for certain, but Xehanort has been keeping guards down there at all times to stand post and he never does that._ Axel had explained. _It must be him, the old man wouldn’t guard someone unimportant._

Riku and Roxas both stayed silent; Roxas picturing the various ways in which he’d like to hurt the traitor and Riku probably doing the same.

Axel stared at them both for a moment, then looked to the table as he continues _. Either way, we’re going to need a plan to get rid of them._

“But…where are they?” Roxas asks quietly when realizes there aren’t any guards standing post. He turns back around to Riku and Axel with his eyebrows furrowed. “Where are the guards!?” He whispers out in a panic.

“Maybe they’re on shift change,” Riku suggests quietly, beginning to look through the peep holes of the closed dungeons. “Check the doors.”

Roxas turns to the next one closest to him, nearly throwing himself against the door as he peers through it. The room is dark and though his eyes have adjusted in the dim lighting, Roxas can’t make anything out.

“ _Sora!”_ The Prince hisses. “Sora, are you in there!?” He half-whispers.

There’s no response, so Roxas grits his teeth and moves to the next door down. He repeats his twin’s name, thinking he sees a figure lying down in the room. “Hey! Sora is that you!?” He says a little louder. It looks too big to be Sora though.

“Roxas, _keep your voice down._ ” Axel commands lowly from the dungeon entrance as he keeps watch.

The Prince grits his teeth and says nothing else, moving to another door. After another empty room he lets out a frustrated noise mixed with unease. Several more and still nothing. Roxas pulls back from the last door he checks and brings a hand to his forehead, panting heavily. Riku has checked the remaining others with no results, simply shaking his head back and forth when him and Roxas meet up again.

“Where is he!?” The blond whispers shakily. He turns to Axel fiercely, his emotions flaring. “You said he was going to be in here!” Roxas bites out, his voice rising.

“Roxas!” Riku hisses out. “Lower your voice or you’ll give us away.”

“Where is my brother Axel!?” The Prince yells out frantically as he advances towards the redhead, ignoring the knight’s protest.

Axel has an unreadable expression on his face. “There’s no way he’s dead. Demyx said yesterday that he killed two guards and heavily injured two researchers.” He explains.

Roxas freezes for a moment in surprise, then his expression becomes angry a second later. “What are you saying!? Sora would never hurt anyone, that’s insane!” He bites back.

The redhead just shakes his head, “That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you, I knew you wouldn’t-“ Axel stops speaking all of a sudden and his head whips to the side after he hears an echoing click of metal. Roxas hears it faintly too and then his eyes widen in shock.

* * *

Axel reacts first, immediately walking further into the dungeon and shoving the torch into Riku’s hands. The redhead commands the knight to follow him as he approaches the door furthest from the entrance, telling Roxas to hurry behind him as well. When he’s in front of the locked door, Axel retrieves a small knife attached to his belt and shoves it into the keyhole. He grasps the handle and turns in awkwardly as he attempts to pick the lock, furrowing his eyebrows when it doesn’t work within the first couple of seconds. The redhead grits his teeth when he starts hearing faint footsteps, then releases a quick exhale of relief when he feels the lock give.

He practically throws Riku and Roxas inside of the room, entering last and swinging the door closed quickly but gently. Axel is panting heavily as he leans against the door, his forearm pressed against the peephole to prevent the light of Riku’s torch from showing out in the dungeon hall. The redhead grits his jaw as he waits, hoping that it’s just someone passing by.

Did Demyx lie to him? Axel had known the man for many years and while the blond mercenary was an odd ball by most standards, he had thought the man was an honest one. Loyal at that as well, considering the various missions they carried out together when they were younger and overall nature of their friendship. The thought of someone he trusted betraying him leaves a bitter taste in Axel’s mouth and the redhead frowns, still standing against the door. Maybe working for the King was in the man’s interest more than their loyalty to one another.

It isn’t until he hears Roxas’ suddenly fearful voice call out that he reacts. “G-guys,” the blond nearly whispers. Axel looks to the blond, catching the apparent fear in his eyes and follows the direction the Prince points at, looking to the opposite corner of the room. The redhead’s eyes take on that exact same fear within the next moment when he processes who…or _what_ is in front of him.

It’s a humanoid figure, rising from its lying position on the ground. Its skin is pitch black and its eyes glow with a bright yellow hue. There’s a pair of long, jagged antennae protruding from the back of its head that twitch every couple of seconds and it has long, sharp claws. The thing rises itself into a crouching position, before its attention moves towards the glow of the fire from the torch Riku holds and it stays still in place. It’s like the creature is captivated by the fire.

“What the fuck…” Axel whispers in horror.

Then the creature’s shoulders tense and it pulls back into a defensive stance, letting out a roar towards the redhead. Axel sees Roxas drop his tome in surprise as he flinches back and in the next moment the creature lunges at the Prince, claws out and teeth baring. Roxas reacts quickly, barely missing its menacing swipe and the creature lands on top of his tome. It begins destroying the book with ease, ripping the spine apart and slashing at the tome with vicious growls.

Riku moves suddenly, throwing the torch at the creature and unsheathing his sword quickly. Without his armour Riku moves much quicker than Axel expected and he watches the silver-haired teen pull his sword back after the creature cries out when the fire touches it. The thing pulls back and almost hisses at Riku, but the knight spares no second and stabs the blade into the creature’s chest.

It lets out a pained cry and falls limp against the sword, struggling to move and crying out. Riku removes his blade with a jerky movement as it comes free with a sharp tug, the knight stumbling for a moment before he brings his arm back again and stabs into the creature once more. This time it falls limp and within seconds its body starts to dissipate as if it’s changed into gas and wisps away into the air.

The three of them are panting loudly, staring at the space of where the monster laid just seconds ago with looks of horror on their face.

“What…” Riku starts between breaths. “What was that!?” He asks in a shaky manner.

Axel shakes his head back and forth immediately. “I’ve never seen anything like that before. Was it human?” He ponders aloud with panic in his voice.

“It couldn’t have been, did you even look at it!?” The knight retorts just as anxious.

The redhead purses his lips and looks to Roxas, the blond looking like he’s still in danger now. The Prince seems to be completely focused on the space where the creature was, unable to comprehend what just happened. Axel feels the same way, considering it all happened so quickly.

“It’s eyes,” Roxas gets out quietly. “Sora had those eyes.” He says, fear laced into his delicate tone.

“What?” Riku cuts in with a sharp tone.

The Prince shakes his head slightly, finally raising his gaze to look at Riku. “The day we sparred. During the…Celebration.” He recalls. Axel doesn’t get a good feeling inside of him with the way the blond speaks. Like there’s something omniscient and haunting about the comparison.

The knight sheathes his sword and walks to pick up the torch. “When he attacked you with the strange magic?” Riku asks carefully, his voice treading lightly.

Roxas nods slowly, his gaze falling back to the ground. “His eyes looked just like that…” He raises a hand to point where the creature was. “That thing.”

“Aright,” Axel cuts in quietly, but sternly. “We need to get out of this dungeon. If someone didn’t hear us before, they did now and we’ll be sitting ducks to them where we are.”

That seems to snap Roxas out of his fear-induced daze a lot, the blond swallowing thickly and releasing a deep breath before nodding. Riku gives a quick nod as well and Axel pauses to listen for the sounds of anyone immediately nearby. Then the redhead opens the door swiftly, grabbing the torch back from Riku and beginning to return to the hallway they found the dungeon in.

Axel is tense as he walks, unsure as to what happened with the person he heard coming earlier. It seemed unlikely that a passerby wouldn’t have heard such commotion coming from the room in the dungeon. Then Axel muses that it would probably be the stupidest idea ever to try and find out what kind of a creature that was if curious. The redhead is still trying to make sense of what it was. Riku was right; it definitely wasn’t human, but it also didn’t look like any kind of animal either. In truth, it looked like a monster.

Being the skeptic he is though, Axel immediately begins thinking such a word is reserved only for myths and legends. There was no such thing ever to have existed like that and yet, here he was witnessing such a terrifying creature that only seemed to be described with such a word. It truly was a monster. They way it acted on primal instinct and didn’t look anything natural just added to the uncertainty of it all.

The redhead tenses his jaw a couple of times and forces himself to not think about it anymore. He needs to be more focused on finding a way up to the main floor of the castle. Not that Axel has the slightest clues as to where exactly he would need to look, but the redhead had a decent back up plan.

 _I’ve heard some horrible stories about that kid._ Demyx said to him, rubbing the back of his head and looking away. _That they’ve been doing all kinds of crazy stuff to him._

Axel leaned back in his chair, his attention piqued and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at the blond. _Stuff like what? Torture?_

Demyx pursed his lips and nodded. _Guards hear him screaming a lot whenever Vexen goes to visit._ He explained lowly. _They say he’s the got the most endurance anyone’s ever seen._

The redhead released a long breath, letting his gaze trail off into the tavern. Not surprising to say the least, considering how off-putting Vexen seemed to begin with. It definitely didn’t make matters any better, and Axel could practically imagine how Roxas would react if he were to hear such a thing. It’s why he also kept that from the blond and Riku, having a strong feeling at least one of them would blow their lid off and charge into the castle screaming.

 _What do they want with him?_ Axel asked, crossing his arms and leaning onto the table.

Demyx simply shook his head and gave a shrug. _I dunno_ _. The details are pretty hush-hush._

After that, the blond began recalling the events of Sora killing two guards. He mentioned to Axel that Sora was brought to one of the labs, so there was a chance that they brought him there again. What they could be doing the redhead isn’t entirely sure, but the way Demyx looked when he briefly explained what has been happening to Sora made him certain it was far from pleasant. Which is another reason he didn’t tell Roxas or Riku.

Axel is torn from the thought when he when he sees a light coming from around the corner, freezing and holding out his free hand to signal Riku and Roxas to do the same. The redhead quickly figures it’s a single person by the steps and he doesn’t hear armour clinking as they walk. So, he shoves the torch towards Roxas who is right behind him, then presses himself close to the wall and starts sneaking towards the edge. His hand reaches for a dagger on his belt, removing it silently and gripping the handle tightly.

He waits and halts his breathing, staying completely still until the person rounds the corner and Axel darts out, catching the person by surprise and throwing his elbow out to hit the person. It hits the person’s cheek, sending him backwards abruptly as he stumbles and drops his torch. He hits the wall and falls to the ground weakly. Axel realizes put a lot more force than necessary for someone that size, but doesn’t hesitate as he grabs the person, hoisting him up around the neck with a knife to it.

* * *

Roxas shoots his free arm out towards Axel as soon as he sees the knife at the person’s throat. “No- don’t kill him!” He cries out.

He sees the redhead pause immediately and look up to Roxas. The blond gets a chilling feeling inside of him with the way Axel seemed to transition into something so homicidal within seconds. Even more so after Roxas realizes he was about to slit the throat of someone who is defenseless with no hesitation. The boy he holds looks about the Prince’s age, with short blue hair and long bangs that cover part of his face, only revealing a single eye. It’s wide with fear, staring between Riku and Roxas as he pants heavily.

Then the Prince calms down a little when Axel listens and stays still. His eyes trail down the teenager, widening a little when he sees blood on his shirt around his abdomen.

“Axel, he’s hurt.” Roxas says, a hint of concern in his voice.

He notices that the blue-haired teen stares at him with an awe-struck expression. It makes the Prince frown a bit, feeling his guard go up. Axel doesn’t seem to care all that much, not making any indication to let the teen go.

“Who are you? A servant?” Axel asks him lowly, angling the knife up a little bit in warning.

The blue-haired teen shakes his head back and forth, murmuring something that Roxas doesn’t hear. He gulps, a crease forming between his eyebrows. “What?” The Prince asks for clarification.

Axel’s expression seems to become more hostile and he actually rubs the flat end of the blade along his skin gently. “Says he’s a student. Works directly under Vexen.”

Roxas’ eyes widen and his grip on the torch grows tighter. “Doing what?” He asks carefully.

“Roxas, is this really important-“ Riku starts, but is interrupted by Axel.

“Research.” The redhead cuts in, leering at the teen.

A swift kick to his gut comes as a result of hearing the words and Roxas grits his teeth, his voice laced with panic. “What happened to you?” He asks quietly, nodding his head to the slowly growing blood stain on his shirt.

“I was attacked,” The teen answers quietly, his face twisted into pain. Roxas gets an even worse feeling inside of him, wanting to step back from the teen and chanting denials in his head.

“Axel, let him go.” Riku urges. “He’s not going to do anything.”

The redhead’s lips curl into a sneer. “Why don’t you tell them what Vexen’s been doing lately?” He asks knowingly, hissing the words out.

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The teen gets out weakly.

Axel’s mouth twists into one of a sickening smile, letting out a teasing noise. “Oh, yes you do. Don’t lie to us now.” He urges.

Roxas stares at the two with a growing confusion on his face. “What…Axel, what are you talking about?” He asks.

“Go on!” The redhead bites out, making the blue-haired teen flinch. Axel releases him and throws the teen to the ground in disgust. “Tell them.” He barks out as the blue-haired teen falls to his knees and has to place his hands on the ground to try and balance himself. He stares at the ground, letting out shaky breaths. When the teen still doesn’t talk, Axel walks close to him and crouches down. He grabs the teen by his hair, ripping his head up to face Riku and Roxas.

“Axel! Stop it!” The Prince cries out.

“You see that guy, there?” Axel asks the teen quietly, ignoring Roxas completely. The redhead turns the teen’s head so he’s staring at Riku, then continues. “He’s a knight. A Royal Guard, I believe is the fancy term for what he does. His whole life is dedicated to protecting someone.”

Then he turns the teen’s head to face Roxas and the blond swallows thickly when their eyes meet. “And this is one of those someone’s. He’s a Prince, believe it or not. Looks awfully familiar, doesn’t he?” Axel asks him with an edge to his tone.

“Axel…” Riku starts quietly. “What are you…” He trails off.

“You’re…Prince Roxas of Destiny Islands.” The blue-haired teen murmurs quietly in recognition.

Now Roxas actually does take a hesitant step back. “How…?” He stops, unable to ask the rest of the question.

The teen shuts his eyes tightly, letting his head drop again when Axel lets go of him and stands up. The redhead turns with his back facing them, crossing his arms.

“I…” The teen starts, then shakes his head back and forth. “I know your brother, Sora.” He gets out quietly, voice trembling.

Roxas feels all of the air leave his lungs and stares at the teen with a shocked expression. “You do?” He asks quietly, his voice sounding fragile.

The boy nods, his eyes still closed and his hands balling into fists. “He…” The teen stops for a moment, swallowing. “I was just going to bring him some food in the dungeon…” He explains, reaching into his pocket and removing a small bread roll.

Roxas’ mouth hangs open and he steps forward, kneeling to the ground to stare at the blue-haired teen. “He wasn’t in the dungeon. We looked.” He says. For some reason, he believes the teen though.

He pauses and looks at Roxas, his expression confused. “He’s kept in the first door on the right.” He explains, leaning back onto his knees and pressing a hand to his blood-stained clothes.

The blond looks behind him at Riku, seeing the knight shake his head. “It was empty when we checked just now.” He says lowly, obviously not trusting the teen from the way he stares.

“Not in one of your labs?” Axel asks tauntingly.

Roxas sees the blue-haired teen swallow thickly and the Prince looks at his injury, frowning. “How do you know about that?” The teen asks Axel. Roxas wonders the same thing, his frown increasing.

The redhead turns back around to face them, scowling at the teen. “Why don’t you shut up and answer the question, unless you want a matching bruise on your other cheek?” He asks.

The blue-haired teen lowers his gaze, falling silent. “I just came from the lab. He wasn’t there.” He answers meekly.

“Okay, well where else would he be?” Roxas asks in a panic, laying a hand on the teen’s shoulder. He starts helping the blue-haired teen into a more comfortable position against the wall. “Please, you have to tell me.” He begs.

“Did Sora do that to you?” Axel interrupts, nodding at the teen’s wound on his stomach.

The blue-haired teen pauses, looking down at himself silently for a moment. “He did.” He admits.

Roxas stiffens, sharing a doubtful look with Riku. There seems to be a new onslaught of fear growing in the knight’s eyes. The Prince backs away from the teen, pulling back closer to Riku. “Sora would _never_ hurt someone like that!” He accuses.

“Roxas,” the teen speaks softly, his voice sounding weaker than before. The blond watches as the boy’s bloody hand comes to rest on his stomach again. “I deserve what he did to me. In fact, I deserve more than what he did.” He explains softly.

“I...I don’t,” Roxas pauses, unable to say anything else.

“Who are you?” Riku asks suddenly, a fierce bite present in his tone.

The boy blinks at the knight. “My name is Ienzo.” He says. “I’m a student like I said previously, and I practice healing magic. I work on research projects under Vexen’s command, taking notes and as of late I’ve been more…involved in testing.” He explains, hesitating at the end.

“Testing?” Axel asks quietly. “Or torture?” His voice calls out into the dark hall.

Roxas’ head snaps towards the redhead in surprise. The dark look on his face gives the Prince a blood-curdling feelings and he grits his teeth, jerking his head back towards Ienzo. The teen stares at the torch he was holding previously with a guilt-stricken gaze. “Torture,” Ienzo echoes quietly, correcting himself. “They call it testing…but it’s not.”

The Prince feels his hand start to ball into his fist, his expression still remaining passive. The ability to breathe normally feels much more challenging, Roxas feeling like his lungs are giving out part way through each breath. He finds himself swallowing thickly, his mouth curling into a scowl. An instinctual feeling of protectiveness comes over the Prince and he has to restrain himself from striking Ienzo.

“Where is my brother?” He asks angrily, his voice shaking and hand at his side doing the same.

Ienzo closes his eyes and pants shallowly. “If not here and not in the lab…with Xehanort himself.” He says.

Roxas lets out a quick breath and shuts his eyes tight, shaking his head. When he opens his eyes, he looks to Riku with a worried expression. The knight holds his gaze seriously, not breaking eye contact and giving Roxas a small nod. His expression is oddly calm all of a sudden.

The blond looks to Ienzo again, trying to force himself not to feel bad at the sight of the injured teen. “Where is Xehanort?”

Ienzo looks up to Roxas would a doubtful expression. One that feels like the blue-haired teen doesn’t actually think the Prince would go after him. But he answers anyway, looking down after he speaks. “His council room, or the throne room most likely.” He says, giving brief instructions of where each of them is in the castle.

Roxas is silent after Ienzo is done speaking, his expression cold. He wants to keep digging, find out more information as to what this supposed ‘healer’ and Vexen could have done to his brother in the name of their ‘research’. But if his words are indeed true, then the Prince has no time to waste and needs to find Sora as soon as possible. The blond turns his attention towards Axel and the man approaches him to get the torch back.

As they start off in the direction in which Ienzo came, the teen calls to Roxas specifically. The Prince halts, glancing over his shoulder at the blue-haired teen with a grim look, waiting for him to continue.

“Before you go after him, you should know that Xehanort plans to use Sora as a weapon.” He explains quietly. “He’s…he’s warped Sora’s mind and body using medicine and magic.”

In the next moment, Roxas hears Riku stepping towards the teen quickly and the blond reacts sharply, grabbing the knight’s arm tightly. The silver-haired teen jerks a bit, stopping and turning to Roxas with rage in his eyes. The blond is startled by his ferocious expression and then Riku breaks his arm free and starts approaching Ienzo again, reaching for his sword.

“Riku, no stop!” Roxas cries, running in front of Ienzo and holding his arm up. “Do not draw your sword!” He orders.

He sees the way Riku clenches his jaw, his teeth baring in fury. “Roxas, step aside!” He demands. “I’ll kill him with my bare hands, I-“ he cuts himself off, jumping at the Prince to shove him aside.

Roxas lets out a surprised noise, attempting to put himself back between the two. He grunts, commanding Riku to stand back, but the knight doesn’t listen, simply resisting against Roxas and starts to overpower the Prince. It’s relatively easy for him considering the knight is taller and much stronger than Roxas, but he doesn’t stop trying to prevent Riku from killing Ienzo.

All of a sudden Riku is ripped back, making Roxas look up sharply to see Axel gripping the knight by his collar tightly and leaning close to him. “Kill him later. You want to find Sora right now.” He mutters lowly, leering at Riku challengingly.

The silver-haired teen scowls at Axel, but his shoulders relax and he pushes the older man away weakly when he lets go of him. The knight says nothing in response, keeping his back towards Ienzo. Axel looks at Roxas seriously for a moment, then the blond exhales and nods his head in a quick thanks to the redhead. Axel starts off down the hallway again and Roxas spares Ienzo a quick glance before following behind.

* * *

They reach an upwards case of stairs like Ienzo mentioned and Axel leads them up quickly, resting his torch in a holder at the top of the stairs. He pauses by the doorway, listening for any sounds of guards nearby and then peers out into the open area.

The hallway in front of them is much larger than the one downstairs, with a large red carpet that runs down either way. There are stone columns near the walls, holding torches that are very spaced out evenly between each other. It’s not much lighter up here, but Axel likes that because they can use it to their advantage.

There’s nobody in sight so the redhead begins walking into the hallway, staying close to the walls and moving quickly. That blue-haired kid ended up proving useful, saving the redhead a lot of time and effort from having to try and locate Sora on his own. As soon as the kid told them the missing Prince would be with Xehanort, Axel almost called the plan then and there. There was no potential way that the three of them could somehow track Sora down and rescue him if they went straight to the King. The redhead already began feeling suspicious when Sora wasn’t where he normally was kept. Something about it didn’t sit well with him.

And Axel wasn’t stupid; while he was a skilled fighter, he definitely knew when to swallow your pride and flee instead of fight. There was no way the King would be alone for starters. While the man didn’t have much of an army, he would have his strongest guards on standby. Xemnas being one of them was almost definite, and there would surely be at least a few others. Based on pure numbers alone, there was no way they’d survive.

But then Roxas turned to him, staring at the redhead with a look that Axel has come to understand in his time travelling with the Prince. A look that says there’s nothing that is going to hold the blond back from getting what he wants and _no_ is completely out of the realm of acceptance. At first Axel used to really hate that look, always feeling like it was just some kind of snotty-Prince behaviour. A way of Roxas demonstrating that he held power over the people around him.

Now, he sees the look and can’t even attempt to justify that kind of thinking. It’s a look that proves how dedicated this stupid Prince is; how he’ll go to the upmost vertical mountains and approach them with ambition in his eyes in order to protect the ones he loves. It’s a look that says he’ll flee his home, his security and his safety if it means getting his brother back. Like bandits and thugs trying to kill you almost everywhere you go is but a trivial problem like spilling a drink.

It’s a look that stirs something within Axel. A look that makes him feel a lot more human than he does most days, even if he's nearly perfected putting on an easy going attitude. In fact, the past week has felt livelier, more enthralling than ever before. It’s had its fleeting ups and its jagged lows, but Axel doesn’t remember feeling so alive in a very long time. And it’s all because of Roxas and that stupid look. There’s no way he was leaving; he knew it as soon as the blond locked eyes with the Prince.

Yes, it’s insane. Probably the stupidest thing Axel has ever done to date and that encompasses a lot of things; the redhead has travelled to many places and done many a thing, but this takes the cake easily. He most likely won’t get his money, his freedom or even keep his life after today.

But looking at Roxas and thinking about all of the obstacles he’s somehow managed to overcome this far puts it all into perspective, and makes Axel’s decision clear as day. This wasn’t about the gold or the freedom or even him.

It’s for Roxas. The Prince of an Island that has enslaved his country for nearly a century, who held Axel’s heart in the palm of his hand without the redhead even realizing he snuck his fingers around it and took hold. It's easier for him to see that now, but the redhead isn't sure if those thoughts would ever turn into words.

“Axel?” The blond’s voice calls to him quietly from behind.

The redhead blinks, coming out of his thoughts and turns around to glance at Roxas, seeing the Prince give him a questioning stare. “You’ve been staring between the halls for sometime. Didn’t Ienzo say it was left here?” He asks quietly.

Axel curses mentally, pulling himself completely back into reality and nearly shakes his head back and forth. “Uh, right he did,” he tries.

He doesn’t like the way the Prince gives him an analyzing look, narrowing his eyes slightly. “So, let’s go.” He says almost impatiently, looking left.

The redhead looks over the blond’s shoulders, unable to make eye contact with Roxas. He narrows his eyes when he thinks he catches sight of something, then they widen when he realises it’s some sort of magic hurling towards them. He grabs Roxas by the arm and pulls him down quickly, calling out for Riku to dodge as well. The knight turns and jumps away sharply, watching the black and purple ball whiz by them. Seconds later Axel hears it crash against the stone walls down the hallway and he grits his teeth, pulling Roxas towards the wall and behind one of the pillars.

Riku runs to the other side of the wall behind a pillar as another one of the magic balls is launched his way. Another big boom echoes after it shoots by and Axel peers out from the their makeshift barrier slightly, trying to gauge what they’re up against.

“Shit,” he hisses quietly.

“What are we going to do?” Roxas asks quietly from behind him, the blond sounding unsure.

Axel frowns at the three guards who he’s just starting to make out coming towards them. Two are knights and one is a mage from the looks of it. The armoured guards carry spears in their arms as their footsteps draw closer, demanding the three of them to show themselves.

The redhead turns to Roxas quickly. “Keep the mage busy. Riku and I can handle the other two.” He orders quietly. Normally he would have said just kill the guy, but Axel doesn’t think the Prince would comply with him if he suggested it that way.

The blond looks a little stiff at the idea of combat, but nods at Axel as he reaches for his wind tome without a word. He holds the green spell book against him in his left arm, dropping his bag next to his feet. The redhead stares at him a moment longer, then gives Riku a nod across the hall. Axel reaches for his sword at his side, gripping his hilt of the blade and then watching the knight do the same.

In the next moment Axel jumps out from his makeshift hiding spot, unsheathing his blade and falling into a ready stance as the guards advance. The mage has chosen to keep himself a distance behind the other two, but Axel can already judge by the way he’s standing that he’s in the midst of casting another spell. The redhead can’t spend much time focusing on that though, just hoping that Roxas can actually fend the guard off while himself and Riku take care of the other two.

In his peripheral he sees Riku standing next to him as well, his sword held high in one hand and his other held out in front of him. It’s a lot more serious than Axel cares for and the redhead nearly rolls his eyes as he makes a move to meet one of the guard’s head on with his sword drawn, parrying the forward thrust with ease and then making his own counter attack with a downward slash. The guard brings his spear up easily to block the attack and takes a couple steps backward to distance himself. The way the guard smirks at him slightly makes Axel frown; fighting with a sword against a spear puts him and Riku at a disadvantage and this guy knows it too.

He hears Riku grunting as he deflects the assaults of the other guard, the sounds of metal clanging on metal echoing into the large hallway. Axel’s attention is pulled in front of him once more as the guard brings the head of his spear towards the redhead’s chest. He grips his sword in two hands; bringing it up in front of his body and parrying the blow. The guard reacts swiftly though, changing his grip on the spear quickly and snapping the opposite end of the weapon up to catch Axel in the side of his jaw.

The redhead grunts sharply as the force of the blow sends him stepping backwards to try and regain his balance, catching himself quickly and glaring at the still smirking guard with a growing anger in his eyes. Axel feels his chest rising heavily as he inhales deeply, readjusting his grip on his sword. A moment later he sees bursts of magic coming towards him again, gritting his teeth as the guard starts advancing at him.

A moment later Axel hears strong movements of wind behind him, hearing a large boom as Roxas and the other mage begin fighting. He can hear the Prince’s voice faintly as he chants the ancient spells, getting briefly reminded of the second day during his stay in Destiny Islands when Roxas and Sora sparred in the courtyard. It was the first time Axel had ever seen a fight like that, as mages were rare to come by in his country anyway. Watching the fight felt more like it was more of a display than anything, the redhead almost staring in awe as the magics collided and intertwined with one another whenever their attacks met. It was nothing like Axel has ever experienced in his fighting.

The redhead inhales sharply as a tall, arched blade of wind whizzes by him and the guard. He sees the powerful magic slicing deep into the ground as it goes by, a deep cut into the ground falling in its trail.

“Watch it with that, you almost got me!” Axel yells to him, unable to deny how a chill shot down his body when the magic shot by him.

“Then get out of my way!” Roxas calls back to him, beginning to chant another spell. Axel can’t help cracking the smallest of smiles as he tries to overpower the guard. He spares a quick glance to Riku after dodging one of the guard’s attacks, seeing that the knight seems to be in the same situation as him; anytime the silver-haired teen finds an opening to counter attack, the guard is able to defend themselves with the advantage of a longer weapon and stops their advances. Riku looks to be frustrated, panting as him and the guard pull away for a moment to survey each other.

Axel lets out a disgruntled noise as the guard in front of him shifts the spear under his arm and starts assailing him with attacks. The redhead counters a quick jab only to have the man pull back seconds later and try to strike him from a different angle. Axel continues to block the hits, wincing as one of the blows makes him flinch back a bit.

The guard must have noticed because he seems to counter attack even quicker this time, taking advantage of the momentary hesitation and striking towards Axel again. The redhead swears under his breath and tries to angle his sword to block the blow, but he knows even as he attempts that he won’t be quick enough to catch it and-

Axel narrows his eyes and brings his forearms up to defend himself as wind circles around him, the green magic swirling around quickly and intercepting the guard’s attack. The man’s assault is blocked by the magic and the impact reverberates back on him, sending the guard flying backwards to the ground as he drops his spear. Axel looks on either side of him in awe, watching the wind continuing to encircle him like a protective shield. He sees that Riku has one as well, and then Axel jerks his head to the side when he hears Roxas running from behind them.

The redhead watches as the Price dashes by him, his eyes focused straight ahead as he calls out another spell. He charges towards the mage and thrusts his arm forward, shooting out bursts of air. Then Axel tears his gaze back to the guard who has finally picked himself up and is staring towards the source of the magic. As soon as the redhead sees the guard make a move to pick up his spear again Axel reacts, quickly unsheathing a throwing knife and hurling it towards the guard.

The knife hits the guard’s armour and falls to the ground, doing nothing more than steal the man’s attention for a moment as he looks back to Axel with an icy expression. The redhead gets a sudden burst of fear inside of him, clenching his teeth tightly and calling out for Roxas to watch out.

The blond looks over his shoulder after Axel speaks, his eyes widening when the guard pulls his arm back to throw the spear. His lips move quickly as he chants another spell, but Axel is sure that he’s not going to have enough time to actually cast the magic and starts running towards the guard in an attempt to do something. In the next moment the spear is flying towards the blond and Axel snaps his head away, unable to watch the scene unfold as he charges towards the now weaponless guard.

There’s no sound of the spear impacting seconds later though, only a sound that resembles the other wind spells that the Prince has been attacking with. Axel feels himself exhaling shakily when he sees that Roxas managed to use the wind magic to throw the spear off track, landing far away with a loud clang to the ground. Axel takes the opportunity and cuts the guard down seconds later, feeling his shoulders release tension as he makes eyes contact with the Prince from his distance, panting heavily and nodding at the blond.

Roxas stares at the guard's lifeless body with a somewhat sullen look on his face, clearly not reacting well to it. Axel opens his mouth to tell the Prince to pay attention, but before he can get a word out Roxas’ eyes widen after something forcefully hits him from behind. It sends the blond stumbling forward, falling to his knees in silence. Axel’s expression drops immediately, not even sure of what just happened but hating the fearful look on the Prince’s face.

“Roxas!” The redhead cries out in panic, running towards him frantically.

He sees Roxas bring his free hand to his throat, wrapping his fingers around it loosely and opening his mouth. His lips move but no sound comes from him, causing his expression to become even more frightened. Axel approaches him, kneeling down and breathing heavily as he rests a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you alright?” The redhead asks breathlessly, his panicked eyes searching the Prince’s.

Roxas closes his mouth, staring up at Axel and gulping. He parts his lips again, but no sound comes out and the blond shakes his head back and forth.

“Hey!” Riku’s voice calls to him, the knight having cut down the guard he was fighting. “Look out!” He warns loudly.

Axel’s eyes dart upwards when he sees magic behind launch towards them in his peripheral and he grabs the Prince quickly, practically diving with Roxas in his free arm out of the way. They hit the ground awkwardly but manage to avoid the magic and Axel stands quickly, pulling the blond behind another pillar.

When they’re behind it Axel closes his eyes and takes a breath in his momentary rest. When he opens his eyes and looks to Roxas, the Prince is still clutching his throat loosely with a hand.

“Are you hurt?” Axel asks the blond as he attempts to catch his breath.

Roxas shakes his head back and forth, but his eyes are still shrouded in concern and he doesn’t look so sure of himself.

Axel winces when he hears the sound of the mage’s magic colliding with the pillar they’re hiding behind, the impact sounding like it’s going to break the pillar if he attacks them again. The redhead glances out towards the guard, then back to Roxas quickly and brings his free hand to the Prince’s face.

“Go get your potion, maybe that will help. And stay back until we take care of this guy,” Axel tells him softly.

Again, Roxas’ eyes search the redhead’s like he’s trying to decide if Axel’s words are worth listening to. It makes the older man wants to nearly throttle the Prince, not wanting to waste their time trying to persuade the blond when the mage could attack at any other moment. But he actually does again without protest, waiting for the redhead to give him to go ahead before running close along the wall back to his bag.

Axel looks out and sees Riku already engaged with the mage, running towards the guard to try and approach him but having to pause and run behind pillars to dodge his attacks. The redhead watches him thoughtfully before deciding it’s too risky to try and get that close, especially because Axel still doesn’t recognize what kind of magic the guard is using. And while the redhead seemed to think that Roxas wasn’t too hurt by his attacks, he is truthfully still worried about the Prince and hopes that he’s okay.

The redhead is reaching for another throwing knife on his belt to attack the mage when he sees two more guards entering the hallway farther down from them. Moments later, three more follow in behind, the five men running towards them with their weapons in hand.

“For fucks sake,” the redhead grits out, launching his knife towards the mage. The guard’s eyes are down in his tome as he calls out his next spell, only until Axel’s knife cuts him off when it plunges into his body right above his breast bone. The man’s eyes go wide and he drops the book to the ground, his knees giving out seconds later and falling lifelessly to the ground.

Riku and him glance at each other apprehensively as the other guards run towards them from down the hallway, various weapons held in their hands as they approach. There are no mages in the group which is a slight relief, but not enough to make Axel feel any better about their odds of survival up against the five men.

Then Riku looks behind him and his expression turns to one of complete surprise, eyes widening and lips parting. “Roxas!” He calls loudly towards the blond.

Axel head jerks around quickly as soon as Riku speaks, freezing as he spots the Prince further down the hallway.

He’s running in the opposite direction further into the castle, not sparing the slightest of attention to Riku as the knight calls for him to come back.

* * *

Roxas pants heavily as he runs; body on fire, skin slick with sweat and lungs struggling to keep up with his racing legs. He can’t turn around and look at Riku even as the knight’s voice echoes down the quiet hallway, blending in with the sounds of the new guards that have appeared and advance towards the other two. He’s awful for abandoning them like this, but he doesn’t do it out of fear for his safety. He does it because the Prince is fearful that something bad is going to happen to Sora once the King is notified about their intrusion. And with the way things are heading, Xehanort must have been notified by now if not in minutes.

So the blond ran passed his bag without a glance, not caring about himself or the fact that he really doesn’t have much in the way of protecting himself with his wind tome since he cannot say anything to cast magic. He just continues to sprint, dashing around a corner and reminding himself of where Ienzo told him to go. There’s a fire in the blond’s blood, filling him with adrenaline that makes his energy feel limitless. There’s also a creeping fear bubbling from within, climbing up his body at the thought of where his brother could be.

Minutes later and several more turns brings Roxas to the end of a hallway with double doors in front of it, the large wooden structures standing tall and closed. The Prince comes to a halt when he’s about ten feet in front of it, giving himself a second to catch his breath. His eyes are trained on the doors with a million different things whirling around his mind as he stares. His heart beats loudly, the blond feeling the vibrations of its contractions in his chest as he pants. He starts to clench his free hand at his side, his other clutching his wind tome tightly towards himself.

Then he decides that there’s no more time to rest, even though he’s still panting quite hard as he approaches the door. And he tries his voice but still, nothing comes out. Approaching the door and grasping the metal handle with his free hand, Roxas exhales and turns it slowly, hearing the latch click and he pulls the door open carefully.

The room ahead is large, even bigger than the throne room in the castle on the Islands. It’s much more well lit than the hallways and dark dungeon, various chandeliers hung with many lit candles atop them. Torches are placed all around the room as well, giving a clear depiction of the haunting looking space. As soon as Roxas steps through, it feels like the temperature around him goes down several degrees. There’s an unnerving feeling in the air, making the Prince’s skin prickle as he steps further into the room.

A long, dark carpet extends itself from the doors and all the way leading up to the throne. There’s something on the ground far down the path, making Roxas squint his eyes at it as he approaches. Then his eyes finally trail towards the dark throne at the end of the aisle and it makes Roxas pause mid-step.

Sitting in his throne is the King of Eclipsis. The man he has seen not so long ago when he came to visit his Islands for the celebration of a peace treaty, which in reality was anything but the sort. It does nothing to suppress the immediate anger that spikes within Roxas when they make eye contact from their distance apart. The older man sits on the throne casually, one of his legs crossed over the other and his elbow resting against the arm of his chair, supporting his head by his hand. The blond sees Xemnas standing a few feet from the throne, his two identical swords resting on each side of his hips. He stands still with his hands at his side dressed in his armour, making no indication of coming to attack him.

“Ah, our visitor has finally arrived.” Xehanort speaks loudly into the room after no one moves or says a word. His low voice seems to echo across the room, his gruff tone intimidating Roxas like it always has since he was young.

His words make the blond furrow his eyebrows, a mixture of uncertainty and anger on his face. “You seem to be short a couple men though. I was expecting that knight and the traitorous mercenary.”

Roxas blinks in astonishment, the words taking a couple seconds to settle in before the blond comes to his realization. It makes his heartrate increase even more, feeling his lungs struggling to keep up with his short breaths. The Prince opens his mouth to say something, but again no words come out. He quickly closes his mouth again, simply choosing to glare at the men further down the path.

“Oh, you thought I didn’t know?” Xehanort asks tauntingly, the side of his mouth curling up slowly. The old man rolls his eyes playfully, the amber hues sparkling with a sadistic glint. “Come now boy. I have spies across all across my land. Word was sent to me the day after you snuck into the country.”

Spies in his own land? That doesn’t even make any sense to Roxas, but he still watches the man with anger and fear blended together in his eyes, as Xehanort stands slowly. The Prince’s eyes trail to one of his hands at his side clutching a black book loosely in it.

“I simply wanted to deal with you by having you killed, but you managed to escape the attack and I decided you were worth coming to me yourself. I must say, I've heard some stories about you escaping death several times. You must have learned a lot on your journey, my boy.” The King says, standing tall and proud in front of his throne as Roxas is still as a statue. “I may not have a powerful army, but I certainly have lots of eyes and ears.”

“None of that matters anymore though,” Xehanort muses aloud his eyes trailing up to one of the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. His voice has become softer, but Roxas’ still gets a slight creep up his spine from the way the man speaks. “Because today, I’m going to create the most powerful weapon ever seen. And it won’t matter the enemy- the size, the number or the weapons; I'll destroy it all.” The King says, beginning to wave his free arm about as he speaks.

“And it’s all thanks to the key.” Xehanort says joyously, his eyes lowering to Roxas again. After a second, the Prince realizes the King isn’t actually staring at him, but rather the thing lying on the ground up ahead of Roxas. He brings his free arm out in front of himself, sweeping it in front of him. “Take a look for yourself.”

The blond swallows thickly, narrowing his eyes at the space the King is looking at. It seems too obvious that he shouldn’t approach, but he does because the Prince isn’t left with much of a choice. He takes a slow step forward, then begins starting down the long carpet towards Xehanort.

When he’s close enough to see that it’s a person, curled up on the ground and appearing unconscious, Roxas hesitates again. His eyes take in the figure facing away from him with suspicion, and it isn’t until the Prince finally sees the spiky brown hair that it clicks in and all of the air in his chest is swept away from him with a sudden passing. It’s like time itself has halted in its place, leaving Roxas with only one still frame of this body in front of him. His clothes are still the same ones that the blond remembers the last day seeing him, but they’re torn and so dirty that you could barely tell.

His skin is pale; paler than Roxas has ever seen it, and covered in different wounds. It’s a combination of cuts, bruises and even burn marks from the look of it. His body remains still and so does Roxas, feeling as though his legs have lost the ability to walk. The Prince stares as his expression becomes dazed, almost like he can’t believe what’s in front of him. Like this isn’t real and he’s about to wake up from this horrible nightmare at any minute.

Then his last string of restraint is cut without another thought and instinct takes over, making Roxas run closer towards the body in a sudden dash. He throws himself to the ground once he’s next to him, dropping his tome and reaching shaking hands towards his body. Up close he looks even worse, and Roxas feels his lips starting to twitch, his expression slowly falling into despair.

He opens his mouth to utter his brother’s name when he places one arm on his shoulder and another behind his neck, rolling the brunet over slowly to face him. No sound comes out as he tries to speak and Sora remains unresponsive as his dead weight moves with the Prince’s movement. Roxas stares at his twin’s bruised face, and the recently inflicted gash across his forehead with bits of dried blood stuck to the area. He pulls his hands away from the brunet’s cold skin slowly, starting to chant screams of denial in his head. There’s no way this is real. There’s no way this is happening.

“He’s not dead, little Roxas.” Xehanort’s voices into the silence once again. His false endearment makes a scowl come to the Prince’s face as his head snaps up to meet the man’s eyes.

“I would never harm a test subject to death, especially one as precious as Prince Sora.” The King continues. “But I need to keep him near death to make him more powerful.”

Roxas can only clench his jaw tight as his breathing starts to pick up again, feeling the sorrow start to drown in replacement of hostility. He tries to yell for the man to shut up, to not speak his or his brother’s name, but again no words leave his lips.

“Your Grace, I think the boy has been silenced.” Xemnas chimes in lowly, his voice low.

The King nods to himself. “I do believe so as well. This makes things much to easy to be enjoyed.” He contemplates.

Then his grip on the book his holds tightens and the man thrusts his arm out towards Roxas, chanting words in the Ancient tongue and grinning at the Prince ferally. Seconds later a black circle appears on the ground in front of him and Xehanort opens his hand. The circle starts shooting towards Roxas and he barely has any time to register what is going on until the circle is underneath him and something comes out from underneath the space, grabbing the Prince tightly and lifting him into the air.

He clenches his eyes shut as his feet leave the ground and his body is constricted tightly. Roxas attempts to break free, trying to shift himself out of the grip of the strange magic that has a hold of him to no avail when there is no room to move. He opens his eyes with gritted teeth, struggling to breathe and glaring out towards Xehanort.

The King starts taking slow steps down the steps of the throne, his footsteps light as he descends. “You know your brother is gifted Roxas. You’ve always known that, since you were a young boy. Something so…unique, so… promising.” He says. Xemnas trails behind the King quietly, remaining silently as the older man continues.

“Your father always told you that light magic is an affinity that is incredibly rare. And it is,” Xehanort says lightly. “I once knew another with the ability, believe it or not.”

“She was a high-born lady in this very land. She grew up in a castle in the northern lands called Radiant Garden, spending hours upon hours learning to read the Ancient Tongue. The girl was able to read tomes fluently by the time she was fourteen years old. Thunder, fire, wind, dark… and yet she couldn’t utilize any of them.”

The man pauses in his explanation, quirking his head to the side when he notices the look of confusion on the Prince’s face. “Yes, Prince Roxas. A secret kept from you by your father. Dark magic, the polar opposite to light. The magic keeping you bound at this very moment, and that caused you to lose the ability to speak.”

“But let’s not get side tracked,” Xehanort says, pausing to stand in front of Sora’s body and stare down at him. Roxas instinctually jerks against his restraints, unable to move.

The King looks back to him again, the smug glint practically dripping from his face. “It wasn’t until the girl discovered a rare light tome in the archives that she became aware of her powers. When her family found out, it wasn’t long until word spread and my spies picked up on it.

“I sent for her to visit and she came days later. A beautiful little sparrow she was,” the man recalls, his gaze trailing off into the distance. “I had known of her but never had the opportunity to meet her. I never thought I would either, because she was betrothed to a man she would be sent off to marry overseas and yet, she responded to the call.

“I told her about the potential of her abilities. About how ancient texts spoke of a power that is unlocked when light and dark magic become one. She was curious to seek that power out with me and agreed to undergo experimentation.”

“Deep into our studies she started becoming sick whenever we tried to infuse the dark magic into her body. You see, dark magic is a very different kind of type compared to the others. In addition to its physical power, it contains psychological properties that have a tendency to warp one’s mind. To twist it beyond sanity and into something primal. Something that feeds off of power and anger. That’s why your father has banned it from your Islands, declaring it a ‘corrupted’ magic.”

Xehanort starts raising his free arm above Sora’s body, his fist balled tightly. “The girl couldn’t take the experiments any longer. She was a sneaky thing, sending out a message without me knowing to her lover. Told him that I was holding here against her will and torturing her,” he grits out.

“The man she was to marry was a powerful one. He came to her aide and stole her from this very castle like you’re trying to do to me right now,” Xehanort says, narrowing his eyes at Roxas. “He was clever, the Prince who took her from me.”

Roxas’ mouth parts in surprise, eyes wide as the man continues. “Took the girl from me and hid her away on his Islands, only to have three children and lose her magical powers from giving birth. Such a weak vessel she always was,” Xehanort bites out, anger bleeding from his tone.

“She was weak Roxas!” The King bursts out suddenly, making the blond flinch. “But your twin has been anything else than that. He’s resilient, this one!” He exclaims, grinning down at Sora’s body and baring his teeth. “Nothing like your pathetic mother.” He sneers.

It’s all too much; Roxas has never felt more useless in his life, lost in the chaos and confusion of everything going on around him. He shakes his head in protest, still chanting that this isn’t real and the words Xehanort speak to him are all lies. Stories made up to trick him into believing this man is justified in his actions.

The King turns around to face Xemnas, giving the man a nod. The tall guard mirrors the action and then looks to Roxas, beginning to walk towards him. The Prince’s expression become tight and his heart beats frantically as if it’s pumping a thousand times a minute. A shiver shoots down his spine as the guard removes his sword from its scabbard, the swift metallic sound ringing through his ears.

“I wanted to demonstrate this to your entire family, the day we arrived to the Islands.” Xehanort says, beginning to murmur a quiet spell and flick his wrist around loosely. A small ball of dark magic starts to form above his hand, black wisps of smoke curling around it. Slowly, black tendrils start to unravel themselves from the ball and descend downwards towards Sora’s body.

Roxas tries to call out his name again, the action useless as the tendrils reach his brother’s body and start trailing all around it. Some wrap around his wrists and his ankles, beginning to lift his body into the air slowly. Sora’s head immediately lulls forward, his body completed supported by the dark magic.

The blond can’t tear his eyes away from the sight, staring at Sora in horror as he comes to a stop in front of Roxas in the air. Then the Prince gasps when he sees the brunet’s head start to roll to the side slowly. In the next moment, Sora lifts his head weakly and meets Roxas’ gaze with a hollow expression.

The Prince starts struggling against the magic holding him in place immediately again, another burst of energy overtaking him at the sight of Sora seeming to wake. He starts trying to yell the brunet’s name over and over again, watching the way his twin narrows his eyes at Roxas like he isn’t sure if the blond is really there or not.

“Ro…” Sora tries, his voice dying partway through. “Roxas?” He asks hopefully, still seeming out of it.

The Prince clenches his eyes shut and nods his head, beginning to feel the tears cascade down his face. He wants to go to him, wrap his arms around his brother and tell him that he’s okay. That his twin is here and he’s going to protect him no matter what. But it’s a fantasy scenario playing out in his head that couldn’t be farther from the current reality.

Xehanort begins speaking today. “The day I arrived when I came up to you boys, I planted magic into Sora’s body. I used a low enough dosage so I knew it wouldn’t kill him on the spot, but it grew more and more powerful as time went on. The day of your fight was when the breakthrough came, after you inflicted pain onto Sora. But it wasn’t enough for him to reach his full potential. In our research, I’ve learned the more pain he’s in, the stronger he becomes.”

“Today, Sora becomes the strongest weapon this world has seen.” Xehanort concludes, and with that he raises his free arm high into the air. The amber-eyed man begins calling out another spell loudly, his words echoing through the throne room all around them. The Prince looks at Sora and shakes his head, the hot tears falling down his face as he silently apologizes to his brother over and over again.

Then Xehanort concludes his spell and dark magic starts to materialize from above his hand again. It manifests itself into a long, thin javelin pointed at Sora’s back and then the King thrusts his arm downward in a vertical movement, and the magical weapon shoots towards him.

Roxas lets out a silent scream as it impacts Sora from behind, the brunet’s eyes becoming wide and his mouth opening slightly. His head moves downwards with jerky movements, staring down at the black spear sticking out of his stomach.

Then the Prince mirrors his twin’s expression when a ripping pain blossoms into his abdomen and he looks down with shock, only to see that Xemnas’ sword is plunged deep into his stomach. He’s still for a moment before he can feel his abdomen convulsing even as he’s still bound in place by Xehanort’s magic, meeting Xemnas’s sadistic gaze as the guard rips the sword from Roxas’ body.

A cry rips from his body and then the magic disappears, leaving the blond to fall to the ground roughly. Roxas winces at the pain and can start to feel the sides of his vision going blurry, raising his head weakly to try and stare at Sora.

The brunet is staring at him with a dazed expression, the last thing Roxas sees before his eyelids start falling shut. He opens them again and Sora lets out a piercing roar into the entire throne room. Closes them again even longer this time, opening once more to see strange black magic surrounding Sora’s body before the Prince blacks out.

* * *

Riku turns around sharply as a loud sound comes from somewhere within the castle. It’s a rumbling outcry, making all of the men fighting stop to look in the direction of where the sound comes from. It seemed to be something no animal or human could produce, the uproar sounding bone-chilling to the ear. Silence follows after a few seconds, then three sudden booms start erupting from the same area. Another shriek echoes through the hallway and the knight would be lying if he said it didn’t make a burst of fear spark inside of him. Seconds later he hears someone being stabbed nearby and a loud cry from one of the men, turning sharply to see that Axel has used the momentary distraction as a means of taking another guard out. They’ve managed to kill four more, only to have three more guards approach the scene shortly afterwards.

With Roxas gone off on his own and the odds stacked against them, Riku can’t help but linger over the impending doom of what’s to happen as these men continue to attack him. He does his best to just focus on the task of staying alive at the moment, even though all he wants to do is turn around and start running after the Prince and find where he went.

Considering how long he’s been by the blond’s side, Riku shouldn’t really have been so surprised that Roxas would have ran off on his own to go after Sora. He wants to be mad at the Prince; to yell at him and tell him he’s an idiot for going after his brother so recklessly. To tell him that he broke his promise to the knight from the previous evening when he said he wouldn’t do exactly what he just did.

But Riku can’t really, because he knows that if he was in the blond’s position, he would have done the exact same thing if it meant finding Sora. The silver-haired teen would gladly do anything to see that his Prince was safe; to know that Sora is alive and he’s okay. He needs to see that out; needs to do anything and everything to atone for his failures to the brunet.

He needs to see Sora and tell him he’s sorry. To apologize until his voice runs raw and he is unable to say anything other than whisper words of remorse. To ask forgiveness for breaking his vow to protect the Prince, and for letting him get kidnapped under his watch. For letting Sora experience a type of fear Riku could only imagine is horrific, wanting nothing more to scoop the brunet into his arms and hold him until everything bad goes away. Until he can absorb all of the pain and the fear the Prince has gone through in his disappearance.

And he’s not going to be able to do it, standing here in the hallway and attempting to kill guards that seem to be replacing themselves within minutes. Not as he can feel his stamina start to deplete and his chest rises heavily with each breath, attempting to fill his lungs with air in place of the fire that resides within. Not even as his sword stabs through the chest of another guard, ripping it from the man’s body with a rough jerk and gritting his teeth as blood stains the ground around him. The guard falls to the ground, his weapon dropping at his side with a metal clang.

There’s more noise coming from the direction Roxas ran towards, then suddenly a large boom sounds off further into the castle. It sounds loud enough to have caused destruction to the building, the knight thinking he’s hearing faint noises of stone collapsing. Seconds later, three more pounding sounds follow it and another crash much closer than the last from down the hallway is heard. It takes Riku’s attention again, and then his eyes widen when the sound of the strange roar grows louder. The knight grits his teeth, instantly feeling a pit form in his stomach at the sound and looks back in front of him went he hears a guard coming close to attack. Riku bring his sword up in front of him to block the vertical slash from the man, grunting as they struggle with one another, both evenly matched in strength.

Another cry from whatever possible thing could be making that sound and Riku starts to wonder if it is another one of those monsters that Roxas, Axel and himself them saw in the dungeon downstairs. It sounds much more terrifying than the creature they fought and louder, which says something because seeing that kind of a thing was enough to give Riku a paralyzing fear before he attacked it.

The knight jumps back a bit from the face off with the guard, leering at the man to gauge what he’s about to do next. A moment later, Riku pulls back and drops his sword at his side when an ear-splitting scream reverberates throughout the entire hall, making the knight have to cover his ears as he winces. The other guards and Axel do the same, the knight seeing the redhead turn towards the direction the noise is coming from and hang his mouth open in shock.

Riku’s gaze follows and lets out a half-gasp when he sees at the opposite end of the hallway something barreling towards them. He can’t see much of it, but he can see that it’s running towards them quickly and bursts of magic that look familiar to Riku are hurling from the creature and towards them. It doesn’t take the knight a second further to react, immediately grabbing his sword and running in the opposite direction passed Axel and the few remaining guards. He can hear the screeches of the creature resounding off the walls as it dashes towards them, running on all fours with great speed.

The silver-haired teen doesn’t look back, running as fast as his legs can possibly take him while he hears the guards start yelling from behind him to attack the monster. There’s booming noises all around them as the magic hits random walls and the ground. Riku bites his lip, letting out a small noise of fear when he hears the sound of one of the guard’s screaming moments later. The other remaining men yell out as they fight the thing, but Riku is already at the end of the hallway and it again sounds like pieces of the castle are starting to fall apart as he rounds the corner.

Riku keeps his gaze in front of himself as he runs further, jerking his head back in surprise when he hears footsteps chasing not too far behind him. The knight relaxes slightly when he sees that it’s just Axel, the redhead clearly having the same instinct as himself to not try and fight whatever that thing was. Riku faintly hears the sound of another man howling out in pain, then a roar from the creature again.

“How many of those things are in this castle!?” Axel says to him in a panic, checking behind him every few seconds to make sure that the creature isn’t behind them suddenly. Its growls and hisses feel a lot farther away, like the thing is still where the guards were.

Riku just shakes his head in unsureness, panting heavily as he looks around for another exit. He’s already forgotten the layout of the floor, his mind completely overtaken with terror and unable to put much thought into anything else than getting as far away from that thing as possible. The sound of the creature starts to pick up again, appearing like it’s dealt with the guards and is continuing to charge down the hallway towards them.

“We have to hide somewhere!” Riku says suddenly, but there’s no doors in sight and he can’t see very well to begin with down these dimly lit hallways.

Axel lets out a noise that sounds dismissive but also fearful, stopping in place and turning his head all which way and about, searching for something. Riku stops as well and grunts as he grabs Axel’s arm roughly and pulls him behind one of the pillars all of a sudden, hearing the beast’s voice come closer.

“You think that things not gonna notice us here?” The redhead hisses out to him, beginning to turn away from the pillar. He freezes immediately when the sounds of the creature running approaches, coming back into place and pressing himself tightly against the stone in defeat.

Riku just closes his eyes for a moment and tries to catch his breath as quietly as possible, his lungs begging for more air than he’s giving at the moment. He forces himself to stay quiet though, hearing the creature draw closer towards them. The knight hopes and prays with everything he’s got in that moment that the thing doesn’t somehow sense them and will find their pathetic, last-second hiding spot.

The creature slows down once Riku is sure its only fifteen feet or so away, letting out small noises as it pauses in its tracks. The knight opens his eyes slightly, narrowing them at the wall and then turning his head slightly to look at Axel. The redhead doesn’t seem to be doing much better than him, his eyes clenched closed tightly and mouth pursed into a thin line.

Riku breathes shakily as he starts to turn his head the opposite way, feeling a bead of sweat trailing from his temple down the side of his face. He moves very carefully, poking his head out from the pillar enough to glance passed it and back into the walkway of the hallway. The knight freezes when he sees the creature standing close ahead with its back facing them. It’s still on all fours, the thing’s head down to the ground as if it’s trying to sniff them out. There’s a long, black spear stabbed through its chest, radiating black smoke.

A moment later the creature goes still and Riku flinches, pulling back sharply behind the pillar and biting his lip hard. There’s no sound of movement coming from the thing for another seconds, but Riku is momentarily too frightened to check again.

He does though, for some stupid reason, pulling himself back into the position he was shortly ago and sees that the creature is standing up on its hind legs and still facing away. Riku stares at the thing with a fascinated horror, trying to make sense of what this creature could be.

Up close like this it looks a lot more human than the knight initially thought. Its body is completely black, looking like a shadow in the low light. There are several tendril-like pieces floating from its hands and back, floating behind the thing like there’s a wind blowing them upwards gently. It’s got long, sharp claws like the monster they saw in the dungeon, and they’re covered in blood, dripping onto the carpet below. Overall, they look like similar creatures, but there’s something different about this one other than the fact that it seems much more powerful.

Shouts of guards coming from somewhere down the hallway cut through the silence and the creature turns around sharply, revealing glowing yellow eyes that look exactly like the monster from the dungeon. It starts to lower itself lower back onto all fours, growling and hissing at the approaching guard and baring sharp, black fangs threateningly. Riku’s body goes ice cold in a fluid movement when he makes out all-too familiar spikes of hair sticking out from its head, feeling like someone just punched him in his gut, stole his breath and swept him from his feet all at once.

_No._

_It can’t be._

He almost says it. He almost calls his name softly, wanting to instinctively catch his attention, but the creature dashes towards the guards approaching him with a sudden outcry and starts attacking them. It’s only a matter of seconds until Riku hears the guards letting out strangled cries of pain and loud yells as their bodies land to the ground with dull thumps.

Silence envelops the hall once again after they’re all dead and the creature immediately sets off in the opposite direction from where the guards came, racing down the hallway once again with snarls and hisses. When it’s finally gone from the hallway completely, Riku steps out of his hiding spot in a daze, his eyes trailed on the spot the creature was standing before he attacked the guards. He stops in the place where the thing was standing, letting his gaze rise towards the direction in which it ran and holding it in place as he hears Axel’s footsteps walking around behind him.

The redhead let’s out a small string of curses. “Whatever that thing is, it’s incredibly powerful.” He murmurs. Riku thinks he must be examining the bodies of the guards, having no desire to do the same thing. The knight could very clearly tell from the sounds of the men dying that the attacks must be gruesome.

“I’m going after it.” Riku says without thought, still staring at the opposite side of the dark hallway.

“You’re _what_?” Axel asks in disbelief.

He knows Axel won’t believe him if he says it, but he knows. He doesn’t know how he knows and Riku has never been the greatest with following his instinct, but seeing that thing up close gave the knight a feeling that he couldn’t deny even if he wanted to.

He half turns to the redhead, giving the older man a passive gaze. “Go find Roxas.” He orders quietly and doesn’t say anything else, gripping his sword tight in his hand and running off towards the creature.

“ _You’re going to get yourself killed!”_ Axel shouts at him when he’s far down the hallway.

 _Well, if it means saving Sora, so be it._ Riku thinks, not letting the words deter him.

* * *

Axel grits his teeth and lowers his head to one of the corpses of the men that thing just killed. Why Riku could possibly want to walk towards his death he couldn’t try and justify, but there was no way Axel was following behind. Looking at the deep claw marks in this guy’s chest and arms, and the chunk of skin missing from his neck where the thing must have bit him and ripped part of it out makes bad thoughts come to Axel’s mind the longer he stares. He feels a subconscious weight start to press against his chest and his skin feels chilly even though his whole body is covered in a layer of sweat from everything happening.

Then the redhead forces himself to look away, sheathing his sword and breaking out into another run back towards where they came from. He thinks he can hear pounding noises throughout the castle, but Axel isn’t completely sure if it’s the creature’s magic again or if it’s just his heart pounding in his chest. He starts to feel his anger build as the scenes replay in his mind, trying to make sense of what the fuck just happened.

And as he starts to think of Roxas and where the blond could have gone to and why he had to go and do the exact opposite of what the redhead told him to do, the anger starts to pile itself inside of him like cards being stacked in a tower. Axel can practically feel the white, hot fury inside his chest. He could probably reach in and grab it it’s so big. Alongside the anger comes the fear though, and the redhead would be a liar if he tried to deny that he is just about as angry as he is scared for the blond.

Finally he’s passed the first set of bodies himself, Riku and creature killed and where Roxas ran off, trying to ignore how the sight of the damaged hall makes him swallow nervously, but Axel isn’t completely sure which direction the Prince ran off in. He looks back and forth frantically, trying to remember the directions that kid in the dungeon told them about. The redhead curses mentally, starting right and hoping it’s the correct decision. Axel is running on low-levels of energy at this point, but he still runs with a sprinting pace even though his breaths are short and his chest is starting to burn from the amount of effort he’s giving.

Rounding another corner brings Axel to the end of the hall, or what was left of it if you could even consider it that. The redhead comes to a stop, his eyes widen as he takes in the destruction that the monster must have done before it came after them. Some of the pillars around him have crumbled to the ground, one part looking so bad that parts of the ceiling of the castle have fallen to the grounds, the large rocks and stone crumbled all about.

Axel sees the broken-down doors at the end of the hall, starting towards it in a light jog and feeling just as uncertain the day he explored the forest under the bridge to find Roxas. Walking passed the doorframe, the redhead goes still again as he takes in the destroyed throne room. His head immediately goes upwards and looks at the large open portion of sky exposing the night around him, Axel noticing that the moon has moved quite far since the time they arrived. It shines down brightly into the room and there’s a few torches the are still hanging off of the parts of the room that haven’t been destroyed.

He steps forward into the room hesitantly, footsteps light as he sees the broken pillars and columns and the various debris scattered all around the room. Axel keeps his hand resting on the handle of his sword cautiously, seeing several chandeliers crashed and broken to the ground, the candles all extinguished. He pauses when he looks left of himself and sees a body, immediately recognizing the long silver hair to be Xemnas. Axel approaches the body slowly, a frown working its way onto his face as he sees the dark stains of blood coming from underneath the man’s body. When he’s close enough to make out the details, Axel’s face scrunches up and a small burst of nausea fills his stomach. He has to turn his head away from the man’s morbid-looking corpse and continue looking.

Axel walks around the large pieces of columns that have landed on the ground, unable to do much other than stare in dread at the destruction around him. That thing was able to do all of this within a matter of minutes? The redhead feels a jagged breath release from himself following the thought. There is no way Riku would live after chasing it down. It would have the knight ripped apart in seconds.

The redhead notices another figure hidden in the shadows of the room and approaches it cautiously as well. The tension in Axel’s face releases slowly when he recognizes the older man, staring at his King’s dead body with a blank expression. He kneels down close to Xehanort, eyes trailing over the deep gaze cutting through his black clothes into his skin. There are deep claw marks into his chest, the wounds still fresh enough that Axel can see his blood still pouring from them.

The man’s amber eyes are lifeless, seemingly staring off into the distance as his body lies still. The redhead closes his eyes, exhaling quietly and standing up again. He continues to pace the room, maneuvering between all of the debris until he comes close to the throne and that’s when he finally sees the third body.

A choked noise escapes him as soon as he recognizes the blond hair in the faint glow of moonlight, then Axel starts sprinting towards him, unable to speak the Prince’s name as he all but throws himself to the ground next to him.

He just stares at Roxas’ face for a moment, the Prince’s eyes closed like he’s just sleeping. It’s like the day Axel found him in the forest all over again, lying up against the tree with a bruised and battered body and an arrow sticking out of his arm. The redhead feels the constriction in his heart like last time-but no, it’s worse now. Because as Axel leans down to the blond’s body and places his arm behind his neck to lift Roxas gently, the Prince’s skin is cold to the touch.

He doesn’t stir as Axel shifts him, the blond’s head rolling a little as the older man pulls him closer. His eyes remain closed when the redhead finally whispers his name, almost so quiet that Axel isn’t sure if he even spoke or not. And when the redhead finally lets his gaze drop down the Prince’s body, seeing the large blood stain on his abdomen and saturating his clothes completely with the liquid, Axel shakes his head back and forth slightly.

His free hand comes to rest where the blond was stabbed, laying it against the clothing gently. When he raises the shaking hand and sees the stains of blood on his glove, Axel releases a short breath and looks down on himself, unable to do much other than attempt to steady his breathing. But he can feel his heart starting to pick up in its beating and his body becoming hot, making him feel as though he was just sprinting down the hallways again.

Axel doesn’t realize he’s trembling and crumbling all at once until a choked sob rips from somewhere inside of him into the quiet room, sounding like a wounded animal. After that it’s as if everything rushes to him all at once and he’s left with no defenses, beginning to sob loudly into the lifeless throne room. His hand supporting Roxas’ neck is shaking and he’s scared he might drop the Prince so his grip tightens and he raises his head to stare at the blond’s face again.

All of this. All of the decisions and the pain, the determination and the fire inside of Roxas; he gave it all. He gave it away in hopes that he could do this impossible and get his brother back from the King of a foreign land. Only to get to the very end and give his life as well, if it meant saving his brother.

Another sob tears through Axel’s chest and all he seems to be able to do is cry and shake his head back and forth as he stares at the blond. Part of him expects Roxas to wake up at any second now like he did in the forest. But he doesn’t; his eyes staying closed as tears from Axel begin to drip from his face and onto the blond’s skin. The older man catches his breath after a few more minutes, the occasional grunt or sniffle coming from him.

Axel shifts the blond again, bringing his head up closer and leaning his own down as he presses their foreheads together.

“Come on Roxas,” Axel whispers as he stays close to the blond. “You gotta wake up.” He pleads.

Nothing from the Prince. Axel’s lip twitches after silence falls between them again, but he continues to speak to the blond as if he can hear. “You can’t leave me like this…not after everything.”

Axel pauses as he breathes shakily, swallowing thickly. “I didn’t get to tell you the things I couldn’t say out loud yet.” He chokes out.

The words starts pouring out of him like water from a fountain in this moment though, the redhead not even having to think before he says them. “You were right, I was scared.” He starts. “I still am.” He corrects.

“I’m scared of how you seem to defy all odds when I swore you were going to die the day you set foot off your Islands. And…and how you manage to want to care for the people who can’t care for themselves.” He says, speaking the words hastily as his thoughts trail to everything they’ve experienced together in their travels. Feeding the orphans with their rations, giving his medicine to Kairi for her father, saving Xion from being attacked even though he knew it was dangerous…

Axel pauses again, sniffling and releasing a slow breath, his eyes still closed as his voice becomes steady. “Most of all…I’m scared of how much you mean to me.” He admits.

After the words leave, Axel pulls back and he tenses when he sees that Roxas’ eyes are half open, staring at him in a sort of daze.

“I’m scared too.” The blond says to him quietly in a strained voice.

“Roxas!” Axel calls to him in shock, his eyes going wide. The redhead’s mouth hangs open as he pants heavily, unsure if this is real or he’s going insane. With a wound like that, Axel was certain there was no chance of survival.

But the Prince raises a weak hand up to him, resting it against Axel’s cheek gently. The redhead purses his lips and place his own hand overtop of Roxas’, leaning into the touch a bit and more tears start to blur his vision.

“I wanna wear blue for you,” The Prince says. “All the time.”

Axel just shakes his head back and forth, gripping the blond’s hand a little tighter. “I… I don’t-“ he tries.

“It’s something Sora said to me.” Roxas clarifies, his voice quiet. “He said I’d meet someone…someone worth wearing blue for. I didn't want to say it cause I was scared. But I'm not scared anymore.”

The redhead still doesn’t get it, but he feels the blond’s thumb brushing against his skin lightly, wiping away one of the many tears. “Where is he?” Roxas asks seconds later.

Axel breaks eye contact, looking down at himself. “I…don’t know.” He answers, not liking the way the blond’s eyes become worried again. As if he should be worrying about anyone other than himself in this moment. “But we need to go and find your bag to get your medicine.” The redhead says, lowering his hand from the Prince’s and maneuvering it underneath him to lift his body carefully.

Roxas leans into him without resistance, letting his hand fall from Axel’s face. “I left it where we were hiding behind the pillar before I ran off.” He answers.

The redhead starts to jog lightly with the Prince in his arms, resisting the urge to tighten his grip on the frail looking blond every time he glances down at him.

“What happened?” Roxas says quietly to him as they cross the threshold of the room and into the hallway. He must have finally noticed all of the destruction around them.

Axel shakes his head back and forth. “Another one of those monsters like we saw in the dungeon. Much more powerful.”

The Prince is silent for another moment. “What about Riku?” He asks carefully.

The redhead bites his lip, debating on whether he should tell the blond or not. But he knows he can’t lie to the Prince, so he opens his mouth. “Went after it.” He answers simply.

Roxas falls silent again, causing Axel’s eyes to stare down at the blond again to check if he’s getting worse. The blond seems to just be in concentration though, staring at nothing as Axel continues to run down the hallway.

“I saw him, Axel.” Roxas says, then his face scrunches up like he’s in another burst of pain. “I saw Sora. Xehanort…He-“

“Hey, take it easy.” Axel says, wishing he could use one of his hands to smooth back the blond’s hair. They’ve arrived to the hallway Roxas spoke of now and the redhead starts down it, keeping his eyes out for the bag.

“He used some kind of magic to warp Sora’s mind,” Roxas continues anyway, his breaths short. “He said they were going to use him as a weapon, just like Ienzo did.” He explains.

The redhead furrows his eyebrows at the words, not saying anything as he spots the Prince’s bag. He runs to it quickly, then lower Roxas onto the ground as gently as he can. The blond winces in pain again and Axel gives him an apologetic look, reaching for the bag to find his last potion. He grabs the small bottle easily, seeing the ‘elixir’ label on it and popping the lid off.

He holds the blond’s neck up to support the Prince as he brings the glass to his lips. Roxas takes one or two gulps before pushing the rest away with his hand. Axel gives him and puzzled look but pulls back hesitantly.

“Sora needs the rest,” the blond declares. “They hurt him badly.”

Axel shakes his head. “Roxas, if that thing got to Sora like it did to the rest of these guys…” He tries.

“If he wasn’t in that room he must have escaped.” Roxas protests, laying his head back on the ground and closing his eyes. The two of them sit in silence as Axel assumers the elixir starts working, watching the blond’s wound wearily. He almost wants to tell Roxas to open his eyes, getting fearful the way he lies still in place even though his chest is rising with each breath. In the silence, a loud boom from somewhere in the castle is heard all of a sudden.

Roxas opens his eyes slowly, turning to look at Axel with his eyebrows furrowed. “What is that?”

The redhead exhales as he hears the monster roaring faintly, brushing his hand across the Prince’s forehead to push his bangs back. “The monster. It’s destroying this castle Roxas, we need to-“

“No.” The blond interrupts him. “It’s not.”

Axel’s eyes narrow and he waits for the blond to continue.

“It’s Sora.” Roxas says with a quiet realization.

* * *

 Axel gives him a skeptical look and though it really hurts to do so, Roxas starts to sit up and rests a hand against the older man to steady himself.

“Roxas come on, lay down. You’re hurt.” Axel pleads him.

The Prince stays still in his sitting position, then looks up to the redhead slowly. He stares into the man’s worried eyes, blinking a couple of times. His eyes drop to Axel’s lips and without thinking the Prince presses his own against the redhead’s. He feels an initial stiffness in Axel’s response, but the older man relaxes quickly and brings a hand to the back of his head to keep him in place.

His heart fills with a sudden warmth and protection, making Roxas pull back slightly only to have Axel bring him back in for more chaste kisses. He gives into the pleasurable feeling, a small part of him wondering if he will always feel this way when Axel kisses him.

Eventually the redhead does let him pull back and when Roxas does, he gives the older man a serious stare. “I understand if you don’t want to come, but I’m going to find him.”

Then Axel looks like he’s going to protest some more, but after a couple seconds the redhead breaks eye contact and lets out a sigh. “I’m not leaving your side,” the older man says with conviction as he meets the Prince’s gaze again.

Roxas gives the man a surprised look before a small smile tugs at his lips. “Good.”

With that, the Prince starts rising to his feet and accepts Axel’s arm held out to balance himself. His feet shuffle as he stands on them, feeling a lot weaker than before even though the small amount of the elixir has made quite the difference. Roxas can tell that the wound is already beginning to close, though he is unable to ignore the throbbing pain in his stomach with every step he takes down the hallway.

The blond hears a faint cry coming from somewhere again, his head perking up at the menacing sound. It gives him a surge of fear, knowing that it’s the same sound Sora made right before the blond fell unconscious. If what Axel said was true…then Sora must have been the one to kill all of the guards Roxas tries to ignore as they pass by, and the one to cause all of this destruction to the castle. Xehanort was right then. He created a weapon that is more powerful than anything Roxas has ever seen before.

They’re coming around a corner when an unexpected crash sounds from down the hallway. Axel grabs a hold of Roxas before he can round the corner to see what it is, already having an idea in his head. He tries to resist against the older man, telling Axel to let go of him.

He freezes when another shriek echoes into the hallway and Roxas hears what sounds to be the cries of guards as they are stuck down one-by-one. Him and Axel share a fearful look before the redhead speaks.

“That's him.” The older man says quietly. He presses Roxas closer to him and leans against the wall around the corner.

The Prince falls limp, shaking his head against Axel’s chest and feeling himself start to breathe heavily. He can hear the growling and the hissing from around the corner, wincing when a guard howls out loudly in pain. A thump is heard shortly after that.

Roxas almost winces at the noise, starting to truly understand why the redhead is so fearful and wanted them to just run away. The Prince pulls back from Axel enough to look up at him. He lets his hands rest on either side of the redhead’s sides, and tilts his head to the side to press his lips against Axel’s. He feels the man press himself back against Roxas, his grip on the blond becoming gentle as they kiss one another.

Then the Prince moves swiftly, pulling one of his hands off of Axel to reach into his bag and removing his fire tome. Axel gives him a surprised look an moves to grab him again, but the blond steps back quickly and thrusts his arms out to quickly cast a spell towards him.

The redhead stares at him in disbelief, then his head moves right and left as he sees the circle of fire immediately surrounding him. Roxas gives him an apologetic look before running around the corner even though it hurts so bad, ignoring Axel’s cry of his name.

When he looks down the destroyed hallway and sees the figure crouched down at the only end of it, claws out and slashing into bodies that have already fallen, Roxas gets an immediate spike of adrenaline and runs to hide behind one of the still standing pillars against the wall.

His back leans against the stone and within seconds Roxas finds himself sliding to his knees in defeat. That thing… that creature… that was Sora? It looked gruesome, even more so than the thing they saw in the dungeon. Just looking at it makes Roxas’ skin prickle and feel itchy, getting a deep-pitted fear throughout his entire body _._

_That’s not you._

“Sora…” He murmurs.

_You’re not a monster._

His free hand comes to rest above his chest, feeling for the silver pendent of Sora’s necklace. The blond reaches under his collar and tugs the chain until it’s removed from underneath his shirt. Roxas grabs the pendent, letting his fingers trail over the curve of the crown as his stares in the distance of the hallway and pants. He pushes one of the corners of the crown into his thumb until it hurts. Until the pain makes his lip twitch and eyes close tight.

Then something in his bag starts glowing and Roxas opens his eyes to stare at it, reaching in and removing the last tome he has. The one he bought from the lady in the small village. He stares at the book with apprehension, but something causes him to drop his fire tome to the ground and hold the other spell book close to him.

The Prince closes his eyes again, clenching his teeth as laboured breaths escape him. His heart is beating erratically and Roxas knows that this is by far, the stupidest thing he’s ever going to do.

But he does it anyway.

In a swift movement Roxas removes himself from his hiding spot, walking into plain sight of Sora. His head is still down as he attacks the corpses, snarling at them as Roxas sees Sora bite one of the bodies and rips a piece off, throwing it across the room.

Roxas doesn’t back down though even though he’s never been more fearful in his life, his face twitching with anxiety and anger. Anger for what Xehanort has done to this brother. To the other people who have died for this and towards himself for not doing something better to stop this from happening.

“Sora!” Roxas bellows down the hallway.

His head whips up from where he’s crouched down, Roxas making out his glowing golden eyes immediately. It sends another burst of fright into him, but the Prince clenches his fist at his side experimentally. Sora starts to stand slowly and when he’s fully upright, that’s when the blond couldn’t be more certain that it’s him.

“Sora…it’s me. It’s Roxas!” The Prince cries out.

Then the creature let’s out a howling cry, tilting his chin up as he does it and holding his clenched arms out in front of him. Roxas sees the sudden envelopment of strange magic start to swirl around Sora. It’s like the magic he saw the day him and Sora sparred during the Celebration; appearing light-based in nature, but Roxas knows now that it must be mixed with dark magic as well.

The Prince gulps, reaching for the necklace around his neck and removing it carefully. He sees Sora lower himself down to all fours again and instantly begins barrelling towards Roxas. The Prince holds his twin’s necklace by the pendant, looking down at the glowing tome in his hands and opens it to the page that is illuminated.

Immediately the blond doesn’t recognize the spell, not having read this far into the tome in his time spent deciphering it. It doesn’t even look to be a spell, but rather a poem. The words written are glowing on the pages and he can read it as easily as any of his other tomes. Roxas doesn’t understand, but he doesn’t have time to question the strange magic as he brings Sora’s necklace to his lips before setting it between the pages of the tome.

Then he starts chanting.

Even as Sora draws closer with a speed that isn’t human in nature.

Even as there’s no signs that the magic is starting to work as Roxas calls out the spell.

Even as he hears the grotesque growls and sounds the creature makes as he comes so close that Roxas can see his familiar spikes despite his physical appearance.

Even as Sora leaps into the air towards Roxas when he’s a mere ten feet away from him.

Roxas lifts his free hand above him, palm facing Sora as the last word of the spell leaves his mouth.

And suddenly, he’s enveloped in a blinding, white light.

* * *

 Axel lowers his forearms from in front of him after the light vanishes from around him, looking all around him and seeing the fire spell that Roxas casted has now disappeared. Complete silence has fallen in the castle, the redhead hearing no sign of the monster (or Sora, as Roxas seemed to believe) anymore.

He immediately rounds the corner, fearing the worst and looks out across the hallway. Up a distance ahead of him he sees the back of Roxas’ head as the Prince rests on the ground on his knees. Axel starts running towards him immediately and then recognises the head of spiky brown hair resting against the blond’s shoulder and sees arms wrapped around Roxas’ middle. He lets out a surprised gasp, stopping when he’s a short space from the two and stares at them with a flabbergasted expression.

Roxas is the first to react, turning his head awkwardly to look at Axel. The older man just stares at him awe-struck, his mouth open and eyes still clouded in disbelief as he stares. Then Sora raises his head next from the blond’s shoulder, looking at the ground for a moment before he looks at Roxas. The Prince turns his gaze to meet Sora’s eyes and the two stare at each other like the opposite isn’t really there.

“Roxas?” the brunet asks softly.

And then the blond breaks out into a strained smile, letting out a strangled breath and nodding as he starts to cry quietly.

A moment later Sora's eyes start crinkling and he starts wailing, crying like a newborn and falling back into his brother’s arms. Roxas just continues to cry silently, his shoulders shaking as he holds the brunet close to him. Axel would be lying if he said watching the scene didn’t tug at his heartstrings, but he stays where he is and says nothing as the two hold each other tight.

He only looks up when he hears footsteps coming from the other side of the hallway minutes later. Axel instinctively reaches for the hilt of his sword, but pauses when he recognizes Riku. Behind him is the blue-haired kid they saw earlier, looking in much better shape than previously and holding a staff at his side.

When him and Riku make eye contact, Axel turns his gaze towards the two brothers and sees the knight do the same. Then the silver-haired teen pieces it together and stops in place, his body freezing all at once.

Roxas and Sora finally look up too, the twins looking in Riku’s direction. Sora’s crying starts to die down to jerky sniffles and hiccups as he stares at the knight.

Finally something brings Riku back and he starts striding towards them, his eyes zoned in on Sora as he approaches. His face is serious but it starts to crumble and Riku breaks out into a sprint towards them. When he’s close the knight falls to his knees in front of them and Sora removes himself from Roxas’ grasp to fully turn towards the knight.

Again, the brunet starts wailing when Riku is just a foot apart from him and the knight pulls the Prince into his arms, burying his face into the space between his neck and his shoulder. Sora’s cries are loud throughout the hallway and the Prince tries to get out Riku’s name several times among his bawling, only managing to get the first syllable out each time.

The knight just grits his teeth and shakes his head back and forth repeatedly, tears streaming down his face. He rocks the brunet back and forth in his arms, the two of them swaying lightly as Riku whispers things that Axel can’t hear from where he’s standing.

The redhead turns away from them and looks to Roxas again, seeing the Prince stare at the two with a relieved and exhausted expression. There are tear trails running down his face as more continue to fall, but the blond is still smiling at them. Axel starts walking closer towards him, kneeling down next to the Prince and resting a hand on his shoulder.

Roxas turns to look at him, their eyes meeting and sending Axel’s heart into a blanket of warmth with the way he stares. He wants to do nothing more than reach out and kiss him, maybe also punch him for trapping Axel back there, but instead tightens his grip on the blond.

Ienzo clears his throat quietly, drawing the four pair of eyes his way as at blue-haired teen approaches. Axel feels his eyes narrow immediately and senses Roxas tensing up as well, but Riku and Sora don’t seem to be suspicious.

The student stops when he’s close to Sora and Riku, staring at the brunet with a guilt-stricken expression.

“I…I know you.” Sora says to him quietly. “You’re the one who saved me.” He says.

Axel sees Roxas’ eyebrows furrow in his peripheral, then Ienzo starts shaking his head back and forth as he kneels down to the Prince’s eye-level. He says nothing back to Sora, instead starting to whisper words as the ball of his staff starts glowing with a green light. Rays of illuminating, green light start emitting from it and go towards Sora’s body. The brunet looks down at himself as the magic works its way into his body, healing his cuts and bruises all along his body until nothing is left save for a few scars along his arm.

When he’s finished, Ienzo stands up and then looks at Roxas, his eyes trailing to the blood staining the Prince’s shirt. Axel remains tense as the blue-haired teen starts to approach them, watching the student with unease as he repeats his actions with Roxas. When he’s done and the wound is completely healed, he stands again and looks between the four of them for a moment before starting to walk down the hallway without a word.

“Wait!” Riku calls to him, pulling back from Sora and standing up. “Ienzo…thank you.” The knight says.

The student pauses with his back to them, his head falling to the ground and shaking back and forth. Roxas and Axel share a confused look before glancing at Riku.

The knight notices them staring and then exhales quietly. “He also saved me. After I went after Sora he…” the silver-haired teen trails off, holding a hand over his chest. Axel thinks he sees a wound, but it’s hard to tell in this light especially with Riku’s dark clothing. “Ienzo saved my life.”

“I didn’t.” The blue-haired teen protests weakly. Axel looks at him again, seeing the student’s free hand clenching at his side tightly. “And I don’t deserve your thanks.”

The knight shakes his head, watching the student start off down the hallway. “Where are you going?” He calls out.

The student doesn’t answer though and Axel sees Sora rise from the ground moments later, beginning to run after him. Ienzo turns as he hears the steps, his visible eye widening as Sora approaches. The brunet grabs Ienzo’s arm and halts him, panting heavily. The student looks down at where Sora has him and then back up to his face, staring at the Prince with an uneasy expression.

“You don’t need to feel bad anymore,” the brunet says to him. “You don’t need to.” He repeats.

Then Ienzo’s face looks down and Sora says something soft to him. The blue-haired teen is just shaking his head back and forth as the brunet speaks to him, his eye closing as well. Something seems to snap within him after Sora reaches to hug Ienzo close to him, dropping his staff to the ground with a weak clatter. His hair covers his face as he’s pulled into the hug, but it’s clear by the way his shoulders shake that the blue-haired teen is crying. Sora just coos words of comfort to him, like Ienzo was but a child who had been wounded.

“Sora I-“ Ienzo starts, but cuts himself off. “I never wanted any of this to happen- I just…”

“I know,” the brunet says. Ienzo pulls back to look at him with uncertainty as the brunet’s hand rests above his heart. “I could tell, remember? You’re different from the others. You didn’t want to hurt me.”

The Prince’s words seem to make the student cry harder, falling to his knees and bowing his head. Ienzo keeps saying he’s sorry over and over again, voice so quiet Axel barely hears it.

* * *

 Roxas stands up next, feeling Axel’s eyes on him as he approaches Sora and Ienzo. He stops next to Sora, letting his eyes fall to where the blue-haired teen sits on his knees, his head bowed low.

“Ienzo.” the blond says quietly, but sternly.

The student raises his head to stare at Roxas questioningly.

“Stand.” He commands. The blue-haired teen complies seconds later, rising and keeping his eyes on the ground in front of him.

“Where will you go now?” Roxas asks him in a rather interrogative tone, unable to prevent the slight hostility in his voice. He knows Sora is the one who truly has the right to be angry with the blue-haired teen, but Roxas isn’t one to be so forgiving.

Ienzo stares at the Prince in thought before he speaks. “I’ll stay here…as my King commands me.” He says with a forced tone that feels very rehearsed.

“Your King is dead.” Axel’s voice interrupts from behind. The three of them look back at the redhead, seeing him watching with his arms crossed over his chest. “So is Xemnas and pretty well all the other people in this castle.”

Sora turns to look at them with a confused look. "What happened?" He asks with a scared tone.

Nobody says anything for a moment after his twin speaks. Axel gives Roxas a look but the blond doesn't speak. 

"Sora, you don't-" Riku starts.

"It was me." Roxas interrupts. The brunet stares at Roxas in disbelief, but the blond nods. "And Axel, and Riku. We had to Sora, it was the only way to save you." He continues.

Riku gives Roxas an unsure gaze but when Sora turns to look at the knight for confirmation, the silver-haired teen nods. "It's true." He adds quietly.

The brunet looks down in silence for a couple of seconds, his mind seemingly stuck in thought. Finally, he raises his head to Ienzo. "So, can't you go home now?" He asks.

“I…I don’t know where I will go. I don’t have a family to go home to.” Ienzo murmurs seconds after, letting his gaze fall again.

“Then come with us,” Sora offers immediately. “We’ll take you somewhere safe.”

Roxas frowns slightly, not thinking of any places that could really be considered safe around here. “Sora…” He protests weakly.

The brunet shakes his head, grabbing Ienzo’s free hand. “He doesn’t deserve to suffer more. Come with us, please. We’ll take you to our Islands if you need somewhere to stay.” Sora begs him quietly.

Suffer more? Roxas can’t be sure what that means, but the way the blue-haired teen stares at Sora in disbelief as he says it makes the Prince wonder. He's not about to protest to his brother's sudden proposition even though it seems like a long shot.

Finally Ienzo gives a weak nod and then Sora turns back around to face Axel and Riku, staring at the redhead for a moment.

“You’re familiar…” Sora says, finally addressing Axel quietly.

The redhead actually looks sheepish at his brother’s words, raising a hand behind his head to brush his spikes tied back. “Uh, well…”

“We can talk about this later.” Roxas interrupts. “Let’s just get out of here.”

Ienzo nods again, his quiet voice speaking up again. “Come this way.” He says, beginning to lead them down the hallway.

* * *

 “Your Grace,” Leon’s voice calls behind Cloud. The King turns around from the overpass he’s staring at in the courtyard, looking towards the knight.

The blond nods his head to the man in a silent greeting. “Any word?” He asks quietly.

Leon shakes his head back and forth. “None. Our ships arrived back from Eclipsis this morning.” He says.

Cloud looks to the side, nodding and then turning back around to stare over the balcony again. Those aren’t the words he wants to hear in the slightest, but there’s no sense in getting angry with Leon about that.

The knight notices that something is wrong though, stepping closer to the King until they’re side by side. Cloud sneaks a glance at the brunet who is staring out over towards the sea, watching the waves rolling in against the shore. His hands come to rest on the railing gently like the blond’s, the knight’s hand close to his own.

“We discovered something though,” Leon says quietly. Cloud looks up from their hands to the knight again, waiting for him to continue.

“Some of the fishermen’s boats were decoys being sent to Eclipsis with spies,” the brunet says. “The guards discovered one of the fleets on our way in and was able to apprehend them. It seems like they were sent by the councillors to gather supplies from Eclipsis.”

Cloud’s mouth falls into a frown. “What kinds of supplies?” He asks quietly.

“Food, water, wine. Some weapons as well.” Leon says.

The king purses his lips, his hands tightening on the railing of the balcony. “Have the spies been arrested?”

“Yes, Your Grace.” The knight responds. “They’re in the dungeons.”

Cloud almost berates the knight for being so formal with him again, but turns around sharply when a servant calls his name frantically. The girl runs towards them fast, her dark eyes wide with shock as she calls for the King repeatedly.

“Yuffie!” Leon barks at her after the fourth time. “The King can hear you clear as day,” he says.

Cloud raises an eyebrow at the man’s outburst, watching the knight regain himself quickly after he meets the blond’s gaze.

“I know, I know, but this is serious!” She says as she comes to a stop in front of them, huffing and puffing as she regains her breath.

The King’s mouth quirks up slightly. “What is it, Yuffie?” He asks, wondering why Leon got so worked up with her so easily.

His amusement dies instantly when she speaks. “It’s your brothers,” the girl gets out. “They’ve just arrived on a fisherman’s ship!”

Cloud’s expression quickly transforms into one of shock, staying silent as he tries to process the girl’s words.

Leon speaks up first. “You’re sure of this?” He asks quickly, the knight’s eyes wide with shock.

Yuffie nods he head furiously, then Cloud starts striding by her and begins running back into the castle.

* * *

Roxas feels strange standing in front of the doors to the castle, staring up at the large stone structure and gets a number of things running across his mind. It’s hard to pick what stands out the most, but the only certainty he has within him is that standing in front of his home has never felt so foreign before. There’s not much time to dwell on it before a servant opens the door for them and the group starts inside with Sora and Roxas leading.

As soon as they enter, Roxas looks up the large staircase in the front hall and sees Cloud standing at the top of it. When they make eye contact, his older brother starts walking towards them slowly, descending the stairs with Leon close behind him. There are a few other servants wandering around the room, but everyone pauses in their action the stare between them.

Sora starts walking forward as well, grabbing hold of Roxas’ wrist lightly and pulling the dumbfounded blond along. It seems like Cloud’s pace picks up when they start approaching and shortly enough their brother is feet apart from them. Roxas’ eyes catch the crown sitting on top of his head, but he says nothing as they stop in front of each other and say nothing.

Then Cloud reacts first, coming towards the twins and bringing a hand behind their heads, pulling them tight to him as his brother starts shaking with quiet cries.

“You’re here,” Cloud whispers to them, his voice so fragile it might break if he says another word.

“We’re home,” Sora replies quietly, the brunet also beginning to cry.

Roxas just grits his teeth and hugs his brothers close, finally feeling like his life is back the way it should be.

* * *

It isn’t until they’ve been bathed, freshly dressed and eaten that Cloud summons Roxas and Sora to his council room. Ienzo and Axel are resting in the south wing, having been bathed and fed as well even though Cloud was reluctant to let the redhead step further into the castle when he saw the man. Roxas was quick to inform his brother that without Axel’s help they wouldn’t be alive and it was enough to make the blond hesitate with his eyes narrowed, before calming down and turning his attention back to his brothers.

Roxas furrows his eyebrows when they’re in the throne room and the servant leading Sora and himself starts going in a different direction than where the councillor’s room is. He questions the servant, only to have the man tell Roxas that Cloud has decided to designate a new room to his council.

When they arrive to the door of his father’s room, Roxas stares at it apprehensively but enters after knocking anyway with Sora close behind.

The room has been completely cleared of their father’s things, replaced with a large table in the centre and numerous chairs tucked into it. There’s a decanter filled with wine atop the table and three empty glasses sitting as well. Up on the wall to the right, Roxas sees a large painting of his mother handing up; a painting he had never seen before. Seeing it makes the blond think about the words Xehanort spoke to him in the man’s castle, instinctively frowning when it crosses his mind.

“They didn’t get her eyes right.” Roxas comments quietly, hearing Sora hum in agreeance next to him.

Cloud is standing by a window and turns to them after the younger blond speaks. His older brother smiles slightly, walking towards the table. “I thought the same thing.” He says, taking a seat. Roxas doesn’t think he’s seen Cloud smile this much before. It’s kind of nice in a way.

Sora and Roxas take their seats near the King, pouring themselves wine and before they know it, the three of them are talking for hours until the sun has long set. They tell each other everything that has happened while they were apart, save for Sora who seems to be content with listening to his brother’s speak. Through both blond’s encounters, they were able to piece the complete story of their family’s history, along with the years of corruption with the council and Eclipsis.

Roxas is at a loss of words by the end of it all, leaning back in his seat and staring at his half-empty wine glass. Hearing about the councillors and his father, Aerith’s sacrifice and everything in between leaves the blond feeling completely out of it, unsure as to how he’s supposed to react.

When their talk is done (mainly because Cloud starts to notice Sora dozing off), he says they can talk more in the morning. Roxas nods silently, taking his leave with the brunet and making their way back to the east wing. The halls are quiet as they walk and when they arrive to Sora’s room first, Roxas is hesitant when Sora approaches the door, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt and halting the brunet.

Sora looks at him questioningly and lets out a small sound when Roxas scoops him into a hug, holding his twin tightly and feeling the brunet’s arms wrap back around him.

“You going to be alright?” Roxas murmurs into his brother’s shoulder. The past nights they’ve been travelling, Sora has had to sleep next to either himself or Riku, often waking up in the middle of the night with terrors.

The brunet pulls back slightly and nods his head. “I’ll come knock on your door if I need you.” He offers quietly.

“We both know you don’t knock.” Roxas teases quietly, to which Sora laughs in response and nods. He calls out a quiet goodnight to his twin and then starts back down the hallway towards his own room. When he stands in front of the door he stops and looks at the large doors by the end of the hallway, wondering if he should go pay Axel a visit. It’s late though, so he could wait until the morning. Still, he pauses as grabs hold of the door handle and then exhales, letting go of it moments later. Roxas starts back towards the opposite end of the hallway, making sure to stop by one of the kitchen to grab something before making his way to the south manor. When he sees the two guards stationed in front of one of the rooms, the Prince becomes certain that's where Axel is being kept due to Cloud's persistent distrust in the man.

As Roxas approaches, he orders the guards to leave and enters the room to be met with the sight of the redhead standing by a window and staring off onto the nearby ocean. He turns as he hears Roxas close the door behind him, giving the blond a small smile.

"A visitor, how nice." The redhead comments dryly.

Roxas actually feels a little guilty at that, frowning. "Cloud's still on edge after...everything." He comments, still reeling over the things his brother told him.

Axel doesn’t say anything in response though, turning to walk towards the Prince. When he's close enough, his hand grabs Roxas’ jaw gently and turns his head back to stare at him. The Prince stares in surprise for a second before the redhead’s lips are pressed against his own. Roxas closes his eyes and reciprocates the action, practically melting into Axel’s grip as the older man’s other hand wraps around behind his back.

The redhead pulls back ever-so-slightly, enough so that he can stare into the Prince’s eyes. It makes Roxas feel a nervous excitement, wanting to kiss the older man senseless the more he stares.

“Sorry. Couldn’t resist.” Axel murmurs to him.

Roxas responds with a slow kiss, then pulls away and looks down nervously. “I have something to tell you.” He says.

The redhead tilts his head to the side a bit. “What is it?” He asks.

Before he begins, Roxas pulls a mango from his pocket, watching the way Axel's eyes light up at the sight of it.

“I was speaking with Cloud, and he told me some…things.” Roxas starts carefully, removing a small knife and beginning to carve into the fruit.

The side of Axel’s mouth quirks downwards. “What kind of things?” He asks a little impatiently.

“A lot.” Roxas admits. “He’s going to end the sanctions between the Islands and Eclipsis.” The blond says, deciding not to sugar coat it with the way Axel is already reacting.

Maybe he should have though, because Axel is staring at him like the Prince just sprouted another head. “He-…what?”

“He found out about them too while we were gone,” the blond starts, finishing slicing one of the halves of the fruit and resting it on the nearby tables as he continues to dice the rest. “Apparently, the councillors have been corrupting the treaty after the first King who created it died and-“ he pauses when he looks to Axel’s still shocked face.

“Axel?” The Prince starts hesitantly. The redhead blinks and catches himself, staring away for a moment and bringing a hand to his mouth. Roxas simply watches him patiently, expecting this kind of a reaction.

“When?” The old man asks softly, pulling his hand down from his mouth.

Roxas sets the knife and the fruit down, walking towards Axel and pulling him close. The redhead looks like he’s about to fall over any minute. “Cloud’s sending off a fleet of ships tomorrow. He’s bringing medicine and food as well,” Roxas pauses, looking away sheepishly. “We don’t have enough for the whole country right now, but we’ll work out the details later and-“

Axel’s hands are behind his neck and they’re kissing again, but in a much more heated manner. Roxas gets a spark of thrill up his spine, nearly shivering in delight when the redhead’s lips start parting in their kisses.

The Prince pulls back though, laughing a little when Axel tries to grab him again. “Wait- just, give me a second. I’m not done yet,” he murmurs.

The older man looks a little annoyed at having to halt in their actions and Roxas can’t really blame him because until now they haven’t been alone pretty much ever. The Prince wants to kiss the redhead just as much as he probably does, but he still has to get something else out and he’s really not sure how Axel will react.

“There’s another thing, and it’s about you.” Roxas says, lowering his eyes for a moment and taking a breath. Axel looks a little hesitant, so the blond exhales and just gets it out like he did previously.

“Cloud isn’t letting you leave on your own.” He says. “Or Ienzo.”

The redhead’s gaze sharpens but he doesn’t move, trying to get a read on Roxas. “He wants you and him to be his advisors on how to go about redistributing the resources across the country.” The Prince explains, trying to deescalate the situation as quick as possible.

Axel looks away and pulls himself free, walking towards one of Roxas’ windows and staring out it. He stays silent for some time, enough that it makes the blond start to fidget nervously. He gets an insane mental image of Axel just leaping from the castle window in an attempt to escape, which is crazy because he would _die_ if he did that and- oh gods Roxas is panicking now.

“So, I’m never going to leave these Islands again?” Axel asks quietly, his tone passive.

Roxas takes a hesitant step forward. “Well, no. He’ll want you to visit from time to time to monitor the land’s progress or gather information.”

This actually makes the redhead turn back to him, his gaze a little more intrigued. The Prince takes it as a good sign and continues. “He said you’ll be paid on a mission-by-mission basis and when you stay in the Islands, you’ll have a space in the castle to stay.”

“Is that space your room?” Axel asks with a hint of playfulness even though his voice sounds stern.

Roxas feels his face warming, rolling his eyes and looking down at the ground. He murmurs something in response and Axel looks at him with a raised eyebrow, actually quirking a small smirk as he asks the Prince to repeat himself.

“I said if you want!” The blond bites out, crossing his arms and looking to the side.

Roxas hears the older man let out of quiet chuckle and his light footsteps trail towards the Prince. He walks by the blond, picking up one of the mango halves and begins to eat it. Roxas just stares at him skeptically, watching the man take a few bites before he approaches the Prince. The blond lower his arms to his sides when Axel cups his face and tilts it upwards.

“Oh I do want.” He says. “Suppose I haven’t got much of a choice in all of this anyway.”

“You told me once you don’t let people make your decisions.” Roxas mentions with an uneasy tone.

Axel looks a little thoughtful after that before he responds. “Yea, that’s true. But even if I somehow snuck off these Islands, I get the feeling you’d sail right behind me with Riku. You know basically all my favourite spots I’d go and you’d beat me silly once you found me.” Axel says with a wink.

Roxas starts grinning widely, unable to do anything about it. “We wouldn’t beat you silly. Maybe blind you though.” He offers.

The redhead laughs again quietly, lowering his head close to Roxas. “That was the worst. Don’t ever do that to me again.” He says, closing his eyes and leaning down to kiss the Prince.

Roxas just hums in agreeance against the man’s sweet lips, leaning close to the redhead and wrapping his arms around Axel’s middle as they stay entangled with one another for so much time that the Prince loses track, not caring in the slightest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a couple things to say, the first being thank you so much to everyone who has made it this far. I've had the idea for this story in my head for sometime now, but I never thought I'd actually ever attempt to write it out because it seemed so daunting to write such a long story. But, here we are, and I'm so happy I actually did it. Writing this story has been a creative journey for me and I was worried at some point I'd either get bored or give up on it, but I'm so glad that never happened. It's been a long time since I've put this amount of effort into something not school or work related and it was well worth all the energy. 
> 
> Next, to anyone who has left comments or kudos, you're the main reason I kept going with the story 😊 There were times that I'd be sitting in front of my laptop just staring at the screen and having no motivation or idea of what to write. But going back and seeing all the love you guys have shown the story got my ass back in gear! So thank you so much for that. And if you liked the story, I'm always thrilled to see you guys' comments, so don't be shy 💖
> 
> Lastly, I am completely open to an epilogue chapter. It can be fluffy or explicit, include all the three pairings or just the main Axel/Roxas one. You guys let me know, and I'll try to incorporate what you'd like to see.
> 
> Again, thank you all so much!!!


	20. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like this extra chapter ❤ it's another long one!

Sora is the first to wake up the next morning. He’s always been the earliest riser of the three surprisingly, always eager to get a head start on the day. Sure, he tends to get sleepy in the early afternoon and sometimes will sneak a nap in there if he really needs it, but nothing ever seemed to get in the way of him waking up around the time the sun begins to rise.

Today…is different though. Sora rises from his bed with a ringing sound coming from somewhere in the back of his mind. It’s faint, but loud enough for the Prince to take notice of it as he rubs the back of his neck and swing his legs over the edge of him bed. Sora pauses, resting his palms against his knees and staring absentmindedly outside of his window with a hazy mind. His eyes seem to focus on nothing as he stays still, finding himself starting to tune out further and the ringing sounds start to raise in volume slowly enough for him to not register.

Until he exhales and stands up, coming back into reality and stumbling over his feet once or twice then making his way into his closet. The brunet pats around sleepily, not even bothering to tell what he’s grabbing by the way it looks but rather the way it feels. He notices that even though it’s still pretty dark in his room, Sora can see clearly as if it’s daytime and it makes him freeze up for a second. A sudden spring of realization works its way into the Prince’s mind and he glances all around him suddenly, hastily grabbing his clothes and walking back into his room.

The brunet dresses himself quickly and exits his room quietly, starting down the long hallway towards the east manor. His footsteps are light and the castle is awfully quiet right now, which is something that Sora should have expected but it makes him feel strange and the Prince starts tapping his thumb against his pointer finger. The brunet reaches the front hall and descends the stairs one by one, reaching the bottom and seeing a few guards standing post near the doors.

They nod at him when he starts walking in the opposite direction and Sora gives a small wave in greeting, not feeling particularly chatty at the moment and walking out towards the north gardens. When he exits out into the cool morning air, Sora inhales deeply and closes his eyes, practically tasting the scent of salt in the air. The Prince opens his eyes slowly and exhales, starting down the stairs towards a section of the gardens.

When he’s stopped in front of the three shrines Sora halts himself again. Two of them are much newer looking, the many flowers and various items left in remembrance around them. The Prince can only do so much as to blink at the two spots for a few moments of silence before he starts feeling his eyes water up instinctively. Sora closes his eyes and simply exhales as the tears begin to trail down his face, allowing himself to mourn and his heart to ache.

The Prince finds himself kneeling in front of the shrines, wiping at his tears hastily as he says a prayer for them. When he’s finished, Sora murmurs a few extra words from his heart to his father, mother and Aerith then falls silent save for the odd quiet sniffle.

Eventually Sora sighs and closes his eyes gently. “Riku? Are you there?” He asks loud enough so the knight can hear.

The Prince hears a slight hesitation, smiling ever-so-slightly. “Uh, yea. I didn’t mean to intrude,” the knight answers sheepishly as he approaches, his footsteps coming to a stop.

“You’re never an intrusion.” Sora answers honestly, even though his voice sounds a little strained. He hopes Riku doesn’t catch it. Another pause, so the brunet stands up and continues. “Would you like to come say a prayer?” He offers gently, finally turning to look at the knight.

Sora has always been intuitive with feeling people out, but looking at Riku alone and the way a slight crease is forming between his eyebrows tells him enough already. Still, the knight resigns himself to a nod and steps next to Sora, standing close enough that their arms brush each other. The brunet smiles faintly as Riku starts saying a small prayer towards the shrines, his voice calm and just above a whisper.

He finds himself becoming rather soothed by the way the knight speaks and shuffles himself closer to the silver-haired teen, until their arms brush again and Sora begins to rest his head against Riku’s shoulder. The knight doesn’t pause in his words though, making the Prince smile even more through his tears. Riku finishes and a silence lulls between them save for the occasional faint cry of birds in the distance, until Sora opens his eyes slowly and begins to speak.

“There’s a lot I still don’t understand about my father, but my heart weeps for him.” The brunet explains quietly. “And Aerith…she was so kind and had a truly good heart.” He says, feeling more tears escape him after the words leave his mouth.

Riku hums in acknowledgement and Sora doesn’t expect him to know what to say. Everything is just as fresh to himself and it is to the knight and the silver-haired teen did not react as emotionally as himself. But he feels Riku pull back a bit to wrap his arm around Sora’s shoulder like he used to when they were kids and the brunet would need support after falling and hurting himself, and it makes the Prince’s bottom lip tremble slightly.

They stay like that for some time, until Sora finally gets all of his tears out and he brings a hand to wipe at his wet face. The brunet sniffles a few more times as he pulls away from Riku, then starts getting his breathing back under control. When he’s deemed himself okay again, the brunet turns to the knight and offers a small smile.

“I slept in late this morning, sorry.” Riku says to him with a frown.

Sora tilts his head to the side playfully, sniffling again. “It was our first night back, you needed the rest.” He eases.

“So did you, but you were up.” The silver-haired teen responds quickly.

The Prince blinks in surprise, then finds himself looking back towards the shrines as a distraction. “I guess my body won’t let me sleep past sunrise.” He offers quietly.

Riku nods to himself, but he speaks up again after Sora thinks that’s the end of it and begins walking back towards the castle.

“How did you hear me?” The knight asks from behind him.

And before his mind allows himself the grace of thinking over his choice of words, Sora’s mouth and voice move quicker, speaking on instinct. “I didn’t hear you. I felt you.” He answers.

He pauses after he speaks, staring at the ground and feeling the ringing noise start to overtake his mind again. Was it always there or was he just hearing it now? The brunet scrunches his face up to stop it and takes a small breath before he turns to face Riku again. The knight stares at him with an uneasy gaze, but simply nods without a words and trails behind the Prince and back into the castle.

* * *

Roxas sits up much later from his bed, eyes still closed as he stretches his arms high above his head. The sunlight hits his face as he moves, making the blond wince a bit as he rubs at his sleepy eyes. Seconds later he opens them slowly, blinking his room into sight and waking up more.

The Prince had wished he could stay with Axel the night before, but Roxas thought it would be something too risky to try on the first night back. Axel gave him a defeated look, but then it changed into something devious very quickly as he leaned down to kiss Roxas again before he left for the night and told him he hoped that the blond’s room would be ready for him to share shortly.

It resulted in a heated glare matched with a flushed face, but Roxas murmured quiet words of agreement and left the room quietly as he tried to bite back the large smile and just couldn’t end up doing it.

A faint smile comes to the Prince’s face as he recalls it now, feeling pretty positive compared to most mornings he wakes up. It’s easy to see why that is considering he’s home and safe with his family and Axel, even if things are still in a chaotic state on the Islands. In the grand scheme of it all, Roxas would gladly deal with it as long as everyone is safe.

The blond dresses himself quickly in some loose clothes. It’s already way hotter in the morning than it was midday in Eclipsis, Roxas not noticing how much of a difference there was until he returned home and began sweating rather quickly. The humidity seemed to be the big difference, the air around him feeling muggy as the sun’s rays take over the skies. After the Prince is done getting dressed, he starts towards the dining room to eat breakfast with his brothers.

It’s quiet but amicable and Roxas has to appreciate how good it is to feel normal for the first time in so long. He notices that Cloud looks happier this morning as well even if it’s subtle, the calm and warmth in his eyes clear as day as he sits across from the twins.

Roxas spares glances towards Sora every once in a while too, catching the brunet smiling and nodding along in their conversation but not saying much. It’s strange for his twin to be so quiet, but the blond noticed in their travels back home that Sora didn’t have much to say and when pressed about it the brunet insisted he was fine. Once or twice, Roxas will find his eyes trailing down to his brother’s scars along his arm, biting back the dread that blossoms into his mind when he stares.

The Prince noticed that Sora did the same to Riku when the knight tried to ask him how he was doing as well, not budging and actually getting frustrated with both of them after some time. Sora said that he was okay and Ienzo insisted that his wounds were healed nearly completely within days. Since then, Roxas hasn’t tried to press Sora about it because he doesn’t want to overburden his brother. He knows how much it bugs himself.

After they finish eating, Cloud tells the two twins to stay at the castle all day while the town is still tense right now. Roxas thinks it’s a little strange, but doesn’t protest as he wasn’t particularly wanting to leave in the first place. The Prince would be content relaxing for the day. Sora looks to be fine with it as well, stating quietly that him and Riku were going to sit in the gardens for the morning.

With that, the three of them break and Roxas decides to pay Axel another visit. Two different guards are standing in front of the redhead’s door when he arrives and they nod to the Prince in greeting. Roxas gives a polite knock on the door and enters after a few seconds of silence, wondering if the redhead is still asleep.

He’s not, the older man standing in front of his bed and looking down at himself as he attempts to adjust one of the cuffs of his shirt with a puzzled look on his face. Axel pauses and looks up to Roxas as he enters, lowering his hands at his side.

“Having trouble?” The Prince asks with a small smile.

Axel gives him an unimpressed look. “The servants took my old clothes and left me these to wear.” He grumbles, focusing on his sleeve again.

The blond steps forward and reaches for Axel’s arm, adjusting the cuff gently and reaching for the loose strings hanging off of the front of his shirt. “Your old clothes were dirty and tattered.” Roxas mentions.

He can feel Axel staring at him as he works to tie his shirt up. The Prince looks up as he finishes, meeting the redhead’s emerald eyes and smoothing his hands over the shirt. “Plus, you look good dressed like this.” He adds with an upward curl of the side of his mouth, before pulling away and walking towards the door.

Axel lets out a disgruntled noise and it makes the Prince’s smile grow even more as his hand lands on the doorknob. Sometimes it feels good giving Axel a taste of his own medicine.

“Come on, you’ll have breakfast and then we’ll go for a walk before you get cramped up in this small room.” Roxas says, turning towards the redhead with a sincere gaze.

Axel stares at him for a moment, his eyes becoming serious before a small chuckle escapes him and he starts to approach. “I wouldn’t call this room ‘small’, but I get what you mean.” He responds.

The Prince stares up at the redhead with an excited feeling inside of him when Axel leans down close to him. Roxas raises himself to meet him halfway in a slow but brief kiss, before the blond pulls away and then shoves him back playfully. Axel stumbles back with a surprised look and Roxas opens the door quickly, walking passed the two guards in front of the door with a small smirk on his face.

He hears Axel’s footsteps trailing behind seconds later and then turns and sees that the guards are beginning to follow them as well. Roxas raises an eyebrow at them, watching them stop a few feet behind Axel once the redhead catches up.

“We have strict orders to watch him until the King says otherwise.” One of them speaks up, informing the Prince.

Roxas can’t help rolling his eyes, then looks to Axel to gauge his reaction. The older man looks a little amused despite the clear annoyance, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow towards the Prince.

“I’ll talk to him about that later today.” Roxas says quietly to Axel.

* * *

The rest of the day goes by very quietly for Sora. He goes to get checked up on multiple times by the new Maester, a young girl named Aqua. The brunet is still unsure of the details of what happened with Merlin, but that might have been because throughout the lengthy conversation himself and his brothers had last night, Sora may have tuned out at some points. Everything has seemingly flipped upside-down in the castle since the day he went missing, so there’s a stillness about his home that feels foreign and uninviting and he's not used to it. The servants aren't as friendly as they used to be, most of them keeping their heads down when he passes by them.

By the end of it all, Sora still isn’t sure how to accurately describe how he’s feeling. Aqua said that it will be normal for him to feel shocked by the rapid amount of things that has happened to him in such a short amount of time. She emphasized it to him again when she saw the various scars along his arms and Sora couldn’t resist shying away a little in discomfort. It wouldn’t be the first time someone stared at them; it caught the eyes of everyone who looked his way and usually ended with a pity-filled look or a look of discomfort.

He listened to the blue-haired woman tell him about how it will be normal for him to feel a mixture of different things. She listed so many Sora lost track, but he nodded along anyway and Riku was standing a few feet away listening intently anyway, so he didn’t worry. When Aqua is finished with him for his last check up of the day, she tells him that if he needs anything to come by no matter the time. She ruffles his hair gently when he smiles at her, and her touch feels warm and familiar but he can’t explain why.

When he’s walking to his room at the end of the day with Riku at his side, Sora gets a feeling that the silver-haired teen wants to speak even though he holds his tongue for the entirety of their walk. When they stop in front of his room and Sora turns towards the knight to bid him goodnight, Riku speaks up though.

“Can I say something to you in private?” He asks quietly.

Sora nods his head immediately, opening the door and watching the silver-haired teen walk into his bedroom. The brunet closes the door behind him when he’s inside, turning towards Riku and glancing at the nervous-looking knight.

“Sora, I-” he cuts himself off. Then a defeated look comes to his face. “I’m so glad you’re back.” He gets out quietly.

The Prince releases a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, getting an immediate warmth inside of him. Sora begins smiling and stepping closer towards Riku. “Me too.” He says quietly.

The knight swallows, staring at the brunet with an unsure gaze. Sora tilts his head to the side invitingly. “What is it?”

Riku blinks, then breaks eye contact for a second. “I just…I want to make sure you’re okay. I know the Measter says you are and I’ve been asking you constantly…but I need to make sure.” He says.

And Sora smiles a bit in response, stepping close enough that he can rest his hands on the knight’s shoulders. “You’ve always made sure I’m okay.” The Prince murmurs, wishing that Riku’s armour was off of him. It would make this a lot nicer.

He meets the silver-haired teen’s gaze as Riku looks down at him and brings his hand to rest on Sora’s lower back. “I have to, I can’t help it.” The knight responds quietly, his voice carrying a tone to it that makes the Prince swallow thickly.

Sora feels himself coming undone the longer he reaches up to rest a hand on Riku’s jaw so he can press a chaste kiss against his lips. He feels the knight’s hand on his back pull him closer for a moment before Sora breaks contact with a small smile, feeling a momentary fragment of complete peace inside of his mind. Riku's expression has softened and he's smiling a little bit, looking a lot more relieved.

“I’ve never been more okay.” He says honestly.

It doesn’t last long though.

* * *

Sora wakes up several times in the evening and early hours of the morning from nightmares, shooting up in a cold sweat each time. It’s strange because when he’s actually dreaming the nightmares are so vivid and real, but as soon as he wakes up he can no longer remember what they are about. Only that it leaves his heart pounding against his chest like it’s going to break his ribs at any point and covered in a layer of anxious sweat that leaves him feeling hot and gross. The ringing in his head comes back full force in the moments, making Sora bring a hand to it and clench his eyes shut tight.

It happens nearly every night as days pass in the castle. He decides to tell Aqua about it and she suggests it’s trauma related. Hearing the words makes Sora clench his fist atop his lap tightly, then the blue-haired girl continues.

She asks him if he would be willing to talk about what he went through when he was abducted and the thought of it alone makes the tips of his fingers go cold, the chilling feeling begging to work itself up his hands. Having to talk and relive the things he went through…the things he still can’t seem to remember… there’s too much haziness to sort through it all. Sora shook his head in protest after a lull of silence, not able to say anything as Aqua’s expression fell slightly.

But then she caught herself quickly, nodding. “Okay, Prince Sora. We can try a sedative to keep you asleep throughout the night at the very least.” She says.

The Prince agrees with a quiet response and leaves with Riku a few steps behind. Sora doesn’t realize that the knight has stopped following him until the silver-haired teen calls his name from down the hallway. Sora stops in place, the small bottle Aqua gave him clenched loosely in his hand and then he turns around. Something in his chest feels heavy and he thinks he sees Riku staring at him with a leery expression, standing about thirty feet away.

After a moment of silence the knight approaches, but the Prince still doesn’t really register it as the ringing in his head starts to build. Sora brings a hand up to his forehead, shutting his eyes tightly and wincing as it grows louder and louder. It comes to an abrupt halt when Riku lays a hand on Sora’s shoulder it snaps the Prince out of it. He pulls himself back from Riku like the touch has burned him, stumbling back and letting out a gasp. By the time he catches himself and looks up to the silver-haired teen, Riku is staring at him like he’s in shock with eyes wide in fear.

Sora parts his suddenly dry lips, feeling them stick together for a second as he speaks. “I…i think I need to go have dinner with my brothers now.” He says, excusing himself quickly.

His brothers notice his withdrawn behaviour immediately, Sora never having been one to put up a good poker face. Roxas is the first to speak up about it after they’ve all taken their seats and the food has been served.

The brunet just shakes his head back and forth, saying that he’s finding himself grow rather bored in the castle these days. He misses the look Cloud and Roxas share while he pokes at the food on his plate with a fork absentmindedly. He does see the way his brothers continue to stare at the scars visible on his hands though, even as Sora has begun to wear long sleeve shirts and pants all the time to hide them. It seems like no matter what he does people stare at them.

The dinner is rather silent that night and Sora is walking back to his room on his own for the evening when he overhears two servants conversing from around the corner of a hall.

“I mean, it’s just _awful._ Even his poor face is scarred now.” He hears a woman echo.

Sora pauses with a quick realization, hearing the women coming closer and hides behind a pillar as they approach.

“Such a shame. He was such a handsome boy too.” The other one responds lazily. Her words send a sting of pain into Sora’s chest.

The first woman hums. “I wonder what kind of things they did to make him look such a way.”

The other one scoffs. “You speak as if he’s been mutilated.”

“Have you seen him?” The first servant says, their voices becoming fainter as they pass. “He won’t make a suitable bachelor now.”

“Oh to hell with you, daft girl. He’s a _Prince_ for gods sake, anyone would be lucky to marry him.” The woman says before their voices become muffled down the hall.

Sora clenches his teeth as he stands in place, feeling the hot tears blurring his vision. After a few more seconds of silence he runs from his hiding spot towards his room, sobbing quietly to himself until he reaches the door and slams it behind him. He begins to undress himself for the night quickly, crying even more when he sees the various scars lined all up and down his body. The Prince has to force himself to look away from them as he grabs some fresh clothes to wear for the night. When he’s all finished, Sora grabs the sedative that Aqua gave him earlier and takes a large gulp of it. Within minutes, he falls into a deep, mindless sleep.

* * *

 

When he wakes up the next day he’s still the first up, raising out of bed with a cloud of fog across his mind. He feels like he’s out of his own body and as he walks towards his closet to get dressed, he catches sight of himself in the mirror and stops in place. His eyes are immediately glued to the large scar on his forehead, unable to look away from the large strip of flesh that is thin-looking and a little pink. Sora feels his throat start to get tight and turns away, rushing to get dressed. He covers himself completely from the neck down, with a dark green long coat, tan pants and black boots. He even wears gloves today and wishes there was something he could put on to cover his forehead as well.

When Riku knocks on his door a couple minutes later, the knight’s eyes immediately go to the gloves. “Isn’t it a little hot for all of that?” He asks quietly.

Sora simply shrugs, not wanting to draw attention to himself as he starts walking down the hallway. “I’m cold this morning.” He replies.

“Sora.” Riku’s voice calls from where he still stands. The Prince instantly recognizes the sternness in his voice, pausing mid-step. When he turns to look at the knight, Sora can instantly read the skepticism radiating off of him. “I’m not an idiot.”

Sora looks down at his feet sheepishly, feeling bad for lying. “I never said you were an idiot.” He murmurs quietly.

He hears Riku’s footsteps drawing closer and glances up at the knight again. His eyes are a little calmer now. “Is it because people stare?” He asks, reaching for Sora’s hands and holding them gently. The Prince watches Riku rub his thumb along the glove back and forth, both of their gazes focused on their hands.

Sora goes still, swallowing thickly and nodding. Opening up to Riku has always been like second nature to him and he rarely hides anything from the knight. “I overheard some servants talking about it last night,” he adds and without meaning to feels his bottom lip tremble a little bit.

Then Riku looks at him, probably hearing the slight crack in his voice and begins leading Sora back to his room. When they’re inside, the Prince begins crying more once again and shakes his head back and forth as he attempts to explain himself. “The scars...I’m hideous-“ he pauses as a sob interrupts him and feels Riku’s arms around his shoulders, pulling Sora close against the knight. “They don’t see me as me anymore.” He wails out.

He feels Riku’s cheek resting against the top of his head gently as the older teen holds him tightly and begins whispering comforting words to him. It’s something that always seems to calm Sora down within a few minutes no matter what and soon enough his loud sobs are nothing more than intermittent sniffles. Then he pulls away from Riku shortly after than, looking up to the knight and wiping at his watery eyes.

The silver-haired teen grabs his hands gently again, staring at the leather covering them. “You are you Sora. I know that, Roxas and Cloud know that. Most importantly, _you_ know that.” Riku emphasizes. “And you could never be hideous. I look at you and think that there’s no one I’ve been more attracted to.”

The Prince feels a flush creeping up the back of his neck, looking down again. “You really mean it?” He asks quietly.

Riku responds with a light chuckle. “Of course I do.” He responds, leaning down to kiss Sora softly. The brunet closes his eyes and immediately feels a bit better about the situation, but he still wears all of his clothes because he knows he’s not truly comfortable with having his skin exposed around everyone.

It’s a good thing he chose to as well, because the stares keep coming his way no matter who he runs into. Cloud and Roxas both give him reluctant gazes at breakfast, his two brothers dressed in much lighter clothing than himself. It sends Sora’s mood plummeting down rather sharply again and the Prince ends up barely touching any of his food. He keeps to himself only until Cloud says his name quietly once the dishes are being cleared away.

“Yes?” Sora replies quietly, raising his gaze to meet his brother’s.

Cloud looks a little hesitant, but speaks calmly. “Is everything alright? You look upset.”

The brunet starts frowning a little bit. “I’m okay. Just bored I guess.” He murmurs.

The King seems to lighten up a bit after hearing that. “Perhaps you should practice some magic with Roxas today. He’s been busy teaching the redhead.”

“Yea, you would know that.” Roxas mutters quietly, looking away when Cloud gives him a glance.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” The eldest brother asks, his attention focused on the younger blond now.

Roxas leans back in his seat. “You’ve appointed him as an advisor and still have him watched at all times. I don’t see why. Ienzo doesn’t have anyone with him at all times.” He states simply, but Sora can tell he’s trying to restrain his annoyance.

The King stares at his brother with a serious look, but says nothing and a silence starts to settle over the room. Sora begins to feel the tension building in the air, starting to frown uncomfortably.

“Again with this? Why do you care what I do with the men who work for me?” Cloud asks suddenly.

Roxas looks up at his brother in surprise, then his expression becomes tense and he stands up abruptly. “I don’t.” He denies quietly, pushing his chair into the table and leaving the room without another word. Sora keeps his head down and Cloud simply watches the younger blond leave with an unimpressed expression.

When the brunet looks up to his older brother, the King is rubbing a hand over his face. “Sometimes I forget how much of a brat he is.” The blond says.

Sora cracks the smallest of smiles and it grows more when Cloud looks at him and mirrors the expression. The blond sits up straighter and reaches for his drink, taking a sip. “So, have you thought about training?” his brother recalls.

The brunet rests his arms over the table, looking down at them. “Um…I haven’t really had an interest in magic lately.” He replies.

Cloud nods his head slowly, setting the cup down. “Perhaps there is something else you’d like to do?” He asks.

Sora cocks his head to the side. “Actually, yea. I was…” he pauses, looking at his brother as he speaks. “I was wanting to go to the orphanage today.”

A quick look of disbelief comes to the King’s face and the brunet immediately regrets saying it. His brother narrows his eyes at Sora skeptically, like he’s expecting the Prince to say he was joking. When he doesn’t, Cloud lets his hand come to rub at his forehead and exhales.

Sora gets an ever-increasing crestfallen look on his face the longer his brother sits there like that, even when he silently waves off a servant who asks him if he’s okay. When he raises his head again and stares off into the distance of the room with a thoughtful look on his face, Sora immediately feels like he’s experiencing the worry in his eyes. Cloud has so many things on his plate, and now here he was trying to make things even more complicated.

“I- ah,” Sora starts, catching his brother’s attention. “Actually, it’s not a good idea. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.” He apologizes, nodding his head.

"Why do you want to go back there?" His brother asks calmly, staring at him with a serious expression.

Sora's mouth purses a little bit and he looks to the table. "I know it doesn't make sense, but I love that place and I miss the kids. I really want to see them." He explains softly.

Cloud shakes his head back and forth after a moment of silence passes, his expression softening. “One hour, this afternoon. You will be escorted by men of the Royal Guard in addition to Riku. You are not to leave the building without accompanying them.”

The brunet finds himself breaking out into a smile again, nodding his head quickly. “Thank you, Cloud.”

The King closes his eyes and nods with a small smile as well. “You’re welcome. I’ll have the men ready for you in a couple of hours.”

* * *

Roxas is training in the courtyard a few hours later while Axel sits in the shade of the overhanging balcony and watches when a servant comes by and requests that the Prince meet Cloud in the council room. Roxas is still clearly annoyed by something even though he’s been chanting spells at targets for nearly an hour now. He still seems to be frustrated though, not bothering to answer Axel when he called out that the blond was going to zap one of the coconut trees if he kept up with the attacks. That’s when the redhead gave up, leaning back against the castle wall in the shade while two guards stood close by. They just seemed to follow him like loyal dogs no matter where he went.

It isn’t until the servant comes by that Roxas pauses in his chanting. The Prince focuses his attention on the man, even more so when the servant adds that the King wants Axel to come along as well. The redhead and the Prince share a quick look before Roxas reacts first, closing his thunder tome and walking back into the castle.

When they arrive to the council room, the servant knocks on the closed door. The servant turns back to them and then faces Axel. “The King would like to see you first, sir.” He says, bowing his head to the redhead.

Axel gets uncomfortable with the formality, sparing Roxas a quick look before entering the familiar room. He’d met with Cloud already several times here in the earlier days, beginning to formulate their plans for the people of Eclipsis. He had to give the kid credit; while he was a few years younger than Axel and clearly still had a lot to learn, he was pretty smart and seemed to have a natural ability to lead. He truly seems serious about restoring the balance between the two nations and has already removed a lot of sanctions. Despite all of this, Axel still thinks the King acts too seriously though.

As he steps forward and sees Cloud standing at the head of the table with a wine glass resting in front of it, Axel hears the door closing behind him and turns to see the King’s personal knight, or whatever they called them here, standing at the door. Leon gives Axel a passive look when the redhead raises an eyebrow at him, then turns back towards the King.

Cloud gestures to the seat adjacent to him without a word. Axel stares at the seat and back up to the blond suspiciously, before stepping forward. Once he is seated, Cloud pours him a drink and then looks to the brunet.

“Go stand outside of the door.” He orders quietly to Leon.

The knight nods his head and Axel frowns as the wine is passed to him, then looks up towards Cloud.

“Guarding me in now?” The redhead asks quietly, raising the cup to his lips and taking a drink. Axel liked the alcohol here much more, but the wine was also far sweeter than he was used to. It definitely gets the job done though, the sweet liquid catching up to Axel rather quickly the first night he indulged in a little too much.

Cloud leans back in his seat, his eyes remaining reserved. “Try, guarding Roxas out. He likes to interfere.” He explains simply.

Axel releases a breath of amusement, then sees Cloud give him an interested gaze. “Yea, I learned that pretty quickly on.” He responds.

The King falls silent for a moment. “Yes, I imagine you learned a lot about each other in your journey together.” He adds.

The redhead pauses with the cup to his lips again after the man speaks, just for a second before he swallows the liquid down and places it on the table. “You could say that,” Axel says with a shrug.

Cloud rests his hand on the bottom of his cup, his interest seemingly changing instantly. “Hm. Let’s cut to the chase. I summoned you here because it’s come to my attention that you haven’t been satisfied with your arrangements.”

The redhead quirks an eyebrow. “What, like my room? It’s fine.” He answers.

The King gives him a stoic glance. “No, I was referring to the guards.” The man corrects.

“I think it’s flattering really,” Axel says, resting his elbow on the table and leaning his head into his arm and grinning playfully. “That you think I need to be guarded. Makes me feel like you fear me a little bit.” He continues with a wink.

Cloud’s eyes become cold, but the redhead finds it rather amusing. “The only thing I fear is that your ego is big enough to crush these Islands. Watch your tongue when you speak to me.” The King says, his voice getting a bit more stern.

“Yes, Your Grace.” Axel recites boredly. Cloud’s expression doesn’t change and Axel simply drinks from his cup. “But really, two men? Not nearly enough if you really did fear me.” The redhead taunts.

The King is still for a couple more seconds before he leans his forearms on the table. “I’d like you to explain to me why Roxas doesn’t want you guarded anymore.”

Axel has to give Cloud credit; he definitely keeps himself more composed than Roxas does when the redhead taunts him. Still, he gets a skeptical feeling and stares at the blond with an impassive look. “Couldn’t say,” he answers easily.

“No? You didn’t even take a second to think,” the King retorts before taking a drink. “And I’ve seen you with him quite a lot these past days.”

The redhead leers at Cloud for a second, trying to catch on to what he’s getting at. “What can I say, I’m a joy to be around.” Axel suggests.

The King actually scoffs a little bit, rolling his eyes like Roxas does. “Yes, I’m sure Roxas would say that.”

Axel has to really bite the retort on the tip of his tongue, _you should hear the other things I can get him to say._ Oh, he can imagine how the blond would look after he said that. That would definitely be enough to get a reaction out of the King.

“I know without your help, Roxas and Riku wouldn’t have been able to save my brother and for all you did I cannot thank you enough.” Cloud starts, his voice calm. “But I don’t know you like Roxas does and I refuse to let any more damage come to my family.”

“I’m not interested in damaging your family.” Axel replies dully, already assuming the distrust is born from the fact that he’s a foreigner. “Last time I checked, I was working for it.”

“I see the way my brother takes an interest in you.” Cloud says in a different tone. “He doesn’t get close with many people. He’s always been like that; not letting just anyone in.”

The sudden change in topic hits Axel and his guard stacks up like tall bricks in a tower. He sips his drink and shifts his weight a little bit, taking his time and not letting the words affect him externally. Internally, he’s trying to weigh up what’s going to happen next. He’s not about to let this kid intimidate him though.

“Like I said before, I’m quite a charmer.” Axel challenges.

“Let’s not dance around this further.” Cloud levels with him, laying his hands on the table and rising slowly. The redhead sets his cup down and looks at the King with a cold look as he approaches Axel. The blond stops next to the sitting man and leans against the table, eyeing the older man up. Neither of them say anything as Cloud glares at him, the King’s eyes cold as ice and threatening.

“If you do anything to place Roxas in harm’s way, I’ll cut your throat myself.” Cloud murmurs to him.

Axel holds his gaze and then looks to the table when Cloud begins walking towards the door moments after he’s spoken. The King opens it and instructs Roxas to come inside. The knight moves out of the way and the Prince enters quietly, his footsteps drawing near.

“I’ve decided the guards are no longer necessary to watch Axel.” Cloud says with hands folded behind his back as he approaches the window. “Instead, you will take that responsibility for the time being since you care so much Roxas.”

Axel says nothing after the King speaks, but he turns to look at Roxas and sees the surprised look on the younger blond’s face.

“What does that mean exactly? I have to babysit him now?” The blond asks skeptically. Axel nearly rolls his eyes. As if it would be _such_ a bad thing for them to have an excuse to spend time together.

Cloud turns his attention towards his brother. “Call it what you will. I don’t want him wandering the castle halls on his own.” The King says.

Roxas and Cloud share a silent but heated look with each other, both blond’s eyes narrowed and seemingly not willing to let up. What was the issue here? Axel nearly walks over to Roxas to shake his shoulders and yell at him to accept the terms. He was walking away with a win here, but his damn pride was fierce.

Just when he thinks Cloud is going to give and yell for the guards to escort Axel back to his room, Roxas looks away and nods curtly. “Is that everything?” He asks quietly.

The King looks a little surprised too, but catches himself. “It is. You may leave.” He finishes with a half-nod, then gives Axel a quick glance in acknowledgement. The redhead and Roxas share a look as well, before excusing themselves quietly and exiting the council room.

* * *

Sora laughs, hoisting a young girl on his lap as the children sitting in front of him decide on which story the Prince should read for them next. They’re sitting in a small outside courtyard for the children, Sora sitting on a stone bench while the kids sit on the ground around him. The children’s voices are loud as they attempt to overlap one another, so Sora intervenes with a raised hand and catches their attention until they all fall silent.

The kids have it narrowed down to two stories so the Prince lets the little girl in his lap have the choice. She grabs the one to his left so Sora decides that’s the one. One of the kids lets out a moan and the brunet smiles, telling him that they’ll read that book together next time.

And so, Sora opens the cover of the book and starts reading it to the kids. In his peripheral, he can see the numerous guards standing by the two different exits, their weapons attached at the belt. Riku is standing nearby as well, the knight leaning against the small pillar from a distance and watching him. So far, things have been great. The kids were all incredibly happy to see him, gifting the Prince with louds of cheers and hugs. It was a little overwhelming, but Sora took in in stride and felt a genuine happiness in seeing the children again. None of them ask about his clothes or treat him any different.

One child asked about his scar and the brunet said that he hurt himself on accident. The kids gave small ‘ooohs’ in response and another asked if he could poke it. The Prince laughed at the oddness of it all, not having expected such a question. He nodded though, watching the child smile a little as he trailed his finger along the skin.

Now as he reads to the kids and balances the young girl on one knee, he feels the best that he has in days. This feels like how it used to be; when things were okay and Sora felt happiest.

Until he flips the page of the book and his eyes settle on the illustration. Upon the page is a drawing of a monster that a girl encountered in the forest. It’s completely black, the figure painted with dark ink and crouched down in the trees of the forest. Its eyes are golden yellow and when Sora’s eyes land on them something overcomes him all at once.

When he realizes it’s that ringing sensation he’s been hearing on and off, it’s completely surrounded his mind and taken Sora somewhere that he doesn’t know but feels so familiar. He knows he hasn’t gone anywhere; he’s still sitting on the stone bench with the book in his hands and child in his lap, his eyes fixated on the page.

But he feels like he’s not in control. Like his being is dormant inside of his body and it runs on some kind of automatic manner. He knows that he’s not in control of his breathing, or the way his heartbeat starts to echo loudly in his ears, the pounding muscle sounding like waves washing on the shores. Or is that really the sound of the shores in the distance?

“Sora?” Riku’s voice calls to him, cutting through the haze and bringing Sora back. The Prince looks down at the hand resting on his shoulder, then up quickly to Riku’s concerned gaze and he blinks a couple times as he becomes aware of the situation.

The Prince looks down at the children, staring at their questioning faces as the area becomes quiet. He swallows, clearing his throat. “Oh, my apologies. Let’s continue children,” Sora says, offering a small smile and watching them nod and give quiet agreements. He can feel Riku’s disapproving stare but ignore it and forces himself to stay in control as he continues to read the book.

When they get back to the castle, Sora tells Riku that he’s going to have an afternoon nap. In reality, he gets to his room and sits in a chair, thinking about the picture in the children’s book for hours. And when the evening meal is ready, he walks towards the dining room and sees Riku and Roxas talked together quietly outside of the doorway. Roxas notices him first and ceases their conversation, looking like him and the knight were arguing quietly over something. Sora ponders what it could be they’re discussing but Roxas simply enters the dining room before he can ask.

* * *

Roxas opens his bedroom door with a rough shove, entering his room and closing the wooden structure with a hefty swing behind him. He lets out a low sound as he runs a rand over his face tiredly, not feeling like dealing with anything else for the rest of the night. All he wants to do right now is have a bath and then lay down and read until he falls asleep.

But then the Prince hears the sound of water moving and looks up towards the doorway leading into his bathing room with a skeptical look. He approaches cautiously, poking his head out to glance into the room.

His mouth falls open and he steps further out, gawking at Axel laying in the filled bath. “Axel!?” The blond tries, but can’t seem to get anything else out as he stares at the man.

The redhead opens his eyes lazily, examining the Prince quickly before closing them again and tilting his head back. “I was wondering how long you would be. Fancy people dinners last forever.” He comments quietly, not addressing Roxas’ very obvious flabbergasted behaviour.

And as the blond’s gaze wanders the exposed top of his chest and the man’s arms resting along the rim of the tub, he can already start to feel something turning quickly inside of him. Axel's hair is free of the band as well, letting his spikes spill out around his head.

“ _What_ are you doing in here?” The Prince hisses out, his face beginning to flush a little.

“Taking a bath, as you can clearly see.” Axel says simply, cracking an eye open and flicking him a small smirk.

Now Roxas starts to get a little annoyed, taking a step closer. “You know what I mean. What if a servant had come by?” He answers quickly.

“I do believe the servants are on a strict curfew these days,” Axel counters easily, his expression remaining unfazed. “They’re all done for the night.”

The blond is actually pretty impressed the man knows that, his gaze lightening up a little. He looks away towards the window, crossing his arms. “Still. You think it’s appropriate to lie…” Roxas says, gesturing towards the redhead.

“Naked?” Axel fills in when he trails off.

“Yes! Like that in my room, waiting for me like some mistress?” He asks.

Then Axel just bites his bottom lip gently as he grins more. “Absolutely. I couldn’t stop thinking about the things I’d do to you when you got back.”

That sends a jolt of excitement down his spine and Roxas can’t help glancing back at the redhead. He huffs quietly, his face still feeling warm. “You’re not very subtle about that.” He comments.

“Can’t be subtle with you,” Axel states as he begins to stand up. The Prince’s eyes take him in as he rises, watching the glow of candlelight reflecting the water as it drips down his body. The way his chest tightens and his heart beats so fast makes his mind a little hazy for a second. “Plus, you respond much better this way.” The redhead finishes.

Roxas isn’t even sure what that really means, but he knows he’s getting turned on the longer he looks at Axel. And before he catches himself, the Prince is walking towards the redhead slowly when the older man gestures him to approach. When he’s at the edge of the tub, Axel’s hands begin working on the Prince’s shirt and he removes it quickly, taking a moment to stare at him as he tosses the shirt carelessly. He brings one hand up behind the Prince’s neck and the other on his side and pulls Roxas closer to kiss him. The blond reciprocates without thought, getting even more heated and craving Axel more than ever.

But he pulls back for a second, holding up a hand before Axel protests and backs up. “I want to lock the door to be sure.” He reasons, taking another step back and pausing.

The redhead sighs and shrugs, closing his eyes. “Yes, better safe than sorry.” He murmurs. As Roxas starts walking back into his bedroom he hears Axel’s voice pick up again. “But when you get back in here you better be fully undressed!” He teases.

Roxas rolls his eyes, his face feeling hot again. He exhales quietly as he walks to his vanity, grabbing the room key and walking towards the door. He clicks the lock into place and then glances at the doorway.

“Why would I do that?” He challenges back.

Axel laughs quietly and Roxas smiles a little to himself, starting towards the bathing room again. “How else are you going to bathe?” He plays along.

Roxas crosses his arms as he enters the room, giving the redhead a displeased look. “You’ve already rudely used my bath without permission.” He counters.

“Barely. I can wash you to make it up if you want,” Axel replies with a lazy grin.

The way he looks makes Roxas swallow thickly, feeling excited. “Hm, that’s a start.” The Prince comments, stepping a little closer.

Axel shifts himself so he’s leaning over the edge of the tub facing the blond. “Oh? What else do you want?” The redhead purrs lowly.

“For you to finish undressing me.” Roxas answers without thinking.

After he says it, he’s a little surprised with himself and he sees the way it takes Axel off guard for a split second too, the older man’s eyes widening slightly before he catches himself and smirks ferally. It makes the Prince get a sparking sensation in his core and Roxas nearly shivers with delight when the redhead motions him to come closer again. The blond obeys, watching Axel’s arms reach out towards him as soon as he’s within distance.

Roxas swallows a little nervousness down as he watches, his face burning once again and heart thumping loudly. While his hands work on the clothing, Axel’s mouth works on the skin above the blond’s pants, kissing his abdomen lightly in different areas. Each spot his lips touch makes Roxas nearly gasp with delight, then he looks back at Axel when the older man begins pulling his pants downward.

The Prince steps out of them and then begins walking up the steps to the bath, gulping a bit with the way Axel’s eyes seem to size up his body. He has to resist shying away, stepping forward into the warm water a little hesitantly.

“You’re cute when you’re nervous,” the redhead comments lowly.

Roxas narrows his eyes at the older man, frowning. “I’m _not_ nervous.” He denies, even though he knows he is. He’s never been like this with someone before.

Axel laughs a little bit again. “Lying is just not your strong trait.” He teases, standing up and reaching for the cloth on a small table next to them. Roxas eyes him up warily, biting his lip a little and then releasing it when the redhead turns back to him.

The older man shrugs at him. “Time to start washing you.” He says.

Roxas purses his lips but allows him to continue. He hasn’t had anyone bathe him in a long time, not feeling like he needs someone to clean himself. But he does remember the many times servants have done it for him, having been through it all the time as a child. Axel’s methods of washing him and the servant’s were very different to say the least. Between the rough scrubbing on his skin, splashing his face “unintentionally” (by the third time, he knew it was a lie) and nearly causing the blond to slip and fall, he was both laughing and a little annoyed.

“You’re bad at this.” Roxas says as Axel scrubs one of his legs. He winces a bit when the redhead applies more pressure in retaliation and then splashes the man. Axel gives him a warning look and the blond simply sticks his tongue out.

The redhead opens his mouth, seemingly ready to give a witty retort before he pauses, his expression becoming a little calmer. “Okay, well why don’t you show me how it’s done then? That way I can learn.”

Roxas stares at the older man for a second. Then he nods and takes the washcloth, lathering it in the bowl of soapy liquid on the table and wringing it clean. He brings it to the redhead’s shoulder, beginning to massage the skin gently in circles. His eyes don’t leave the man’s body; even if he wanted them to he doesn’t think he could. Roxas is becoming more and more aware of the fact that he’s never seen the redhead naked up close like this before. Except for the time on their first night in Eclipsis, but Roxas was thrown off guard and looked away as soon as he saw the man.

Now as he works his way down the arm, he takes in the details of Axel’s body he didn’t attempt to before. He sees a couple scars along the man’s chest and one on the arm he’s washing right now, taking a few seconds to observe the area. He doesn’t say anything about it though, unsure if it would be rude or not. When he’s done with the cloth, Roxas sets it down in the bowl and then works to massage the soap into the redhead’s skin with his hands.

“This really is the royal treatment.” Axel murmurs playfully as Roxas’ thumb presses into the muscles around his forearm.

Roxas cracks a grin. “No, I just don’t think you know how to properly bathe yourself.” He retorts and he continues to work his way up his bicep. When he’s finished, Axel submerges it to wipe the soap off and rolls his eyes.

“Alright, whatever I’ll try your method. But you have to stand up.” The redhead states, reaching for the cloth again.

Roxas frowns, but does so anyway. He hears Axel moving around behind him, hearing the cloth being dipped and squeezed out again. The Prince closes his eyes as the redhead brings the cloth to his back and begins mimicking the motions he was doing just moments ago.

“How’s this?” Axel asks quietly.

Roxas smiles a little. “Much better.”

“Good.” The redhead replies, a hint of something amused laced in his voice.

The Prince can only wonder why as Axel continues to wash his back. When the cloth comes lower down his body, Roxas feels himself tense a little. He thinks that the redhead is going to go even further, but his arm pulls away and he starts lathering one of his arms. Roxas lets out a small breath, unsure if it's one of relief or disappointment. Eventually Axel has his arms and chest washed as well and that's when the older man pulls his hand back. Moments later Roxas feels the man pressed close against him from behind, the man’s skin hot against his back. His eyes widen when he feels Axel’s length against him as well, then he looks down towards himself as the redhead’s hand starts moving to the front of him near his groin.

“Axel-!” Roxas bites out as the man’s hand strokes along his inner thigh. He can already see himself getting turned on by the actions and Axel probably can too, making his heart thump loudly.

He feels Axel’s lips pressing against the side of his neck and this time can’t help the shaky breath that leaves him. “Gotta make sure you’re completely clean.” He teases quietly, continuing to lather his skin gently.

Roxas releases a small noise when Axel’s tongue starts working along his neck as well, leaning back into the man’s chest and watching his hand move to his other leg. He can already feel himself wanting Axel to touch him more, but isn’t sure if he’d be able to get out a coherent sentence at the moment.

Then Axel tosses the cloth back towards the table carelessly and starts massaging the soap into the blond’s skin with smooth movements. His fingers dip and press against the Prince’s buttocks and move to his hips slowly, his actions drawing a long exhale from Roxas. The blond leans his head to the side to expose a bit more of his neck to Axel and the older man takes the offering immediately, his lips sucking and kissing at the Prince’s skin. The sounds of his wet lips moving against him make Roxas’ mind light and hazy and he closes his eyes as the man continues to touch him.

Roxas can feel the redhead’s hand drawing closer and closer towards his own length. Axel has both of his thumbs pressed against his hips and kneads them down towards his pelvis in continuous motions and it makes the Prince’s erection twitch against his abdomen. He hears the redhead inhale sharply immediately after and Axel starts picking up his pace in teasing the blond’s neck, his grip on Roxas tightening.

It sends another new wave of pleasure across the Prince’s body, shuddering in Axel’s hold and moaning quietly. It’s as if his noises of elation and bliss are like instant rewards to the older man, feeling Axel’s length pressing harder against him and his hands moving back up Roxas’ chest to run along the front of him. The Prince shifts a little at the sensation, bringing one of his hands up behind Axel’s neck and gripping his hair. He holds onto the red spikes tightly, gritting his teeth when one of Axel’s hands finally starts moving towards his erection.

And when the older man grips him gently and starts moving his hand in a slow, up-and-downward motion, Roxas lets out a low growl into the room and shuffles his hips back against the redhead. Axel responds in a matched tone quietly, moaning out the blond’s name as his grip on the Prince tightens a little. His other hand is running up and down the front of Roxas’ chest and making the blond twitch in sensitivity of the motions.

He can already feel the tightness mixed with heat beginning to fill his core and Roxas knows he’s not going to last very long. In the couple of times him and Axel have fooled around, he’s never been one to last long in the first place. And now that it’s been so long that they’ve done something like this, everywhere Axel touches and kisses seems to send him into great heights. When the redhead's pace picks up, mixed with the feeling of his lips against the Prince's burning skin, he knows the ecstatic buildup is already close to overflowing. His hand grips Axel’s wrist tightly with each motion and he moans shakily.

“Not gonna…” He tries, cutting himself out with another low sound when the redhead slows down a little, nipping at the Prince’s neck and working his way up to the space behind his ear.

“Don’t hold back,” Axel whispers to him with a light nip to his ear.

Roxas gasps and feels his shoulder tensing up, only able to close his eyes and shake his head back and forth as his body seizes up. He chokes out quiet breaths and a long moan as the feeling of Axel sends him plummeting off the edge, gripping the man tightly as he shudders and climaxes. The man’s hand continues to pump him as he rides out his orgasm, hips twitching and jerking against the man’s touches. He’s so sensitive to everything Axel does to him.

Roxas pants quietly and opens his eyes slowly after a few seconds. His breaths are still laboured and quick, but he turns himself around in Axel’s grasp and pulls the redhead down for a much-wanted kiss. The older man makes a small noise of delight and snakes an arm around his middle, pulling the blond close again.

When they break away, Roxas looks up at the redhead through his dark lashes. He cleans himself off quickly, washing away the remnants of his orgasm off of his abdomen before pulling Axel out of the bathtub by the arm. The redhead trails along quickly, staring at him with an amused expression as Roxas’ legs wobble a little, still feelings the afterglow of his pleasure.

Then the Prince presses his arms against Axel, easing him to step backwards. The redhead complies with a slight upwards curl of his lips, coming to a halt when his back presses against the wall gently. Roxas pushes himself on the balls of his feet to meet Axel in a kiss, his hands trailing up the man’s chest and coming to rest on his shoulders. He brushes the tip of his forefinger along a faded scar, feeling the thin skin and pulling away from Axel to look at him again.

“I want to do what you did to me behind the waterfall.” The Prince murmurs, his face reddening as he says it.

Axel simply responds with a slow, sensual kiss and cups the blond’s jaw as he does it. When he pulls away, Roxas can see the way the redhead’s pupils are dilated in the candlelight to the point where there’s almost no green visible. It makes the blond lick his lips and start to lower himself to his knees gently, resting a hand against Axel’s thigh for balance.

The redhead’s attention is solely focused on Roxas as the Prince runs his hands delicately over the man’s thighs, their wet skin gliding over one another’s from the bath. The blond licks his lips again when his eyes settle on Axel’s length in front of him, getting a heated cloud fogging in his mind the more he stares. One of his hands grips the redhead’s erection and starts massaging it like the older man was doing to him.

Roxas makes no indication of doing anything other than that for sometime, taking a couple moments to either speed up or slow his pace. He hears Axel exhaling and feels his thighs flexing every now and then with his touches.

Finally the Prince decides to not make him wait further, gripping the redhead’s length at its base and bringing himself closer. He gives an experimental lick to the head, then turns away to kiss at the skin above the man’s pelvis right after. He hears Axel let out a frustrated growl and it causes Roxas to grin a little bit with his face buried against the man’s groin. The Prince licks along the side of Axel’s erection this time, dragging his tongue from the base all the way to the head.

Then the blond grabs the man’s length and lifts it so he can lick the underside, laying his tongue flat as he coats the muscle with slick wetness. Axel is letting out long exhales and low noises, his chest rising and falling with each laboured breath. Roxas brings his tongue back to the head of the older man’s length and then opens his mouth to take the tip in gently.

Axel lets out a louder moan, his erection twitching inside of the Prince’s mouth and making Roxas grab onto the man’s thigh with his free hand tightly. He swirls his tongue around the head, hearing the redhead says his name quietly. It’s like a subtle encouragement to Roxas, so he grips the man’s length tighter and starts flicking his wrist as he laps at the man.

At some point he feels Axel’s fingertips resting on the back of his head and then his fingers bury themselves in the short blond hair. The older man’s hands pause a when the Prince’s tongue runs over the slit of his head and his grip tightens when Roxas swallows more of him, choking out a quiet moan.

The man’s hand moves to the side of his face and when his thumb brushes against Roxas’ temple, the blond’s eyes flick up to meet Axel’s. The man is flushed red in the face, panting heavier than before and swallowing thickly.

“You don’t even realize how hot you are.” the redhead moans out, closing his eyes when Roxas looks down and takes in more of him until Axel’s erection hits the back of his throat. The Prince moans against his length, causing the redhead to tilt his head back and bring his free hand to his mouth. His head starts to bob up and down from his actions, licking and sucking and feelings the noises Axel makes shoot straight to his lower belly.

The way Axel reacts to him seems to ignite another fire inside of Roxas, quickly feeling himself getting turned on again. His hand works in time with his mouth every time he pulls his mouth back, doing his best to recreate what Axel did to him on their travels. He remembers how it made his knees go weak and wonders if the redhead feels the same way as he continues his actions.

At the very least, Axel seems to be enjoying himself immensely with the way he calls Roxas’ name lowly whenever the blond’s mouth does something just right and it feeds into the Prince’s desire each time. There comes a point when the older man’s grip on Roxas’ head tightens to a point where it nearly hurts, but he doesn’t say anything because he can tell by the way Axel moans and shudders that he’s not going to last much longer.

Roxas looks up at the redhead again when he realizes, their eyes meeting each other’s and the Prince feels sparks set off against his ribs in his chest with the way Axel captivates him. The older man’s eyes start to narrow and he head tilts back, his body tensing all at once.

“Roxas,” the man drawls out lowly, his hips jerking and then suddenly the man is finishing inside of the Prince’s mouth, bursts of liquid filling his mouth as Axel presses himself back against the wall to steady himself. He pants heavily and Roxas swallows down his semen, pulling his mouth off of his length in a slow motion. He’s sure to give one last lick before removing his mouth completely, then rises as Axel’s hands pull him up.

The redhead kisses him deeply as soon as he’s on his feet, the sudden rush of movement making Roxas a little dizzy for a couple seconds. He pulls away with a small smile after a few kisses are shared and Axel runs a hand along his chest.

“I see you’re ready to go again there,” the redhead teases with a glance downwards.

Roxas rolls his eyes, his face warming for the umpteenth time. Axel just laughs quietly and kisses him again, pulling the Prince back to his bedroom.

* * *

He’s floating. He can feel his body suspended into the nothingness around him, his body seemingly paralyzed and skin cold. Or maybe it’s just his mind playing tricks on him, because Sora isn’t sure what this place is, or if any of this is even real. The air around him is so lifeless and there’s no light, darkness filling every possible crack and crevasse. He’s pretty sure his eyes are open but there’s nothing to see. Nothing to hear, or taste, or smell or touch.

The only thing he’s sure of is that he’s hollow. There’s nothing left of who he is or what he was, other than his shell left in the abyss. It’s so lonely and empty. Time doesn’t seem to be something existent in this space, Sora having no idea if minutes or hours have passed in the time he became aware of this.

And then suddenly, there’s a burst of pain in the area where his chest is supposed to be and Sora lets out a noise he didn’t know he could make. Did he even make that sound? It came out like something so chaotic and raw, ripping through the silence with harsh echoes all around him. The sound seems to send the reverberations in echoes around him, then something hits him and he gasps in shock.

Madness seems to seep all around him, driving any amount of sanity and consciousness out of him. Sora’s left with nothing but the active feeling of rage and a lust for blood on his mind. He’s not in control of anything, but feels his body reacting on its own like an automatic response. He's in some kind of a mental or physical (maybe both?) prison, unable to stop himself or do anything other than attack. He thinks he hears screaming, then he knows he smells blood. The scent of it seems to make his instinct grow stronger, and the liquid begins to cover his hands and his mouth. The metallic taste on his tongue makes him crave more.

So he gives into the feeling over and over again, a blossoming red mania filling his want to kill and spill blood. To destroy anything and everything in his path without thought. He does it so many times despite the body count, the yells of pain and screams for mercy-

Until he thinks he hears a familiar voice.

It seems to stir something beneath the anger, just for a second before its vice grip clamps him tight and brings Sora down under again. But now he knows he can hear the sound, the syllables repeating over and over. Until they crack through to him again and it’s like a gasp of fresh air when you’ve been underwater for far too long and your lungs crave the air. It’s like he’s back in control, back to earth and reality. As he tries to process it all, he realizes that the sound he hears is someone yelling his name.

And when he finally recognizes the voice, it’s too late because he’s standing in front of Riku and his body moves on its own accord. Sora processes the action like he’s the one who did it even though he knows he didn’t do this willingly. He stays still for a moment, wondering if this is really reality or some kind of a twisted nightmare. The knight stands in front of him, staring at Sora with fear and hope laced into his eyes as they lock with one another. There’s so much in Riku’s expression that Sora couldn’t even begin to describe before the knight reacts.

Riku is jerking his head down towards his chest, staring at himself with wide eyes and choppy breaths. Sora notices blood beginning to drip from the corner of Riku’s mouth and then he finally looks down where the knight’s gaze rests, seeing a clawed, black hand sticking deep into his chest.

And Sora realizes it’s _him_ whose doing that and-

He shoots up from his bed, panting heavily and staring all around his dark room. It takes him a couple seconds to realize he’s back in his castle and in his bedroom and he raises his trembling hands in front of his face. Through the moonlight filtering in he can see there’s no blood on them as he rotates his wrist to check them fully and pants. No claws there either; but he somehow knows that was him. His skin didn’t look that way but Sora still doesn’t waver.

His heart beats with a scared adrenaline, tears streaming down his face as things begin to replay in his mind. The ringing in his head becomes more apparent again all of a sudden, splitting through his head and making him whimper quietly as he holds his head.

He stands up shakily, trying his best to stifle his tears as he exits his room quietly. Sora makes his way to the front hall and doesn’t speak to or look at any of the guards standing post, keeping his head lower as he makes his way across the castle. The ringing doesn’t let up at any point and it makes him wince a couple times, wishing with everything that it would just leave him.

Eventually he makes it to the guard’s chambers and locates Riku’s room easily. Sora knocks on the door a couple of times, wiping his eyes and trying to mask his sniffles as best as he can. The door opens a few moments later, revealing Riku’s tired eyes that widen a little bit when he recognizes who it is.

“Sora?” He asks groggily, rubbing at his eyes for a second. He seems to read the Prince’s body language quickly and straightens up. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Sora nods his head without a word and accepts Riku’s invitation to comes in when the knight pulls back for him to enter the doorway. The brunet steps past it and steps into the small room, staring at the plain room a little shyly. He doesn’t come to Riku’s room very often, so it feels a little strange especially so late.

The silver-haired teen lights a couple of candles quickly to give some light, setting them down on the small table next to his bed. When he’s done, he gestures for Sora to use his bed and the brunet steps forward cautiously, sitting on the edge of the bed with his gaze down in his lap.

Riku sits next to him moments later, giving the Prince some distance. “Did you have another dream?” The knight asks.

“This one was different from the rest.” Sora answers hoarsely, his voice strained.

There’s a pause, then a hesitant shift closer. “Different how?” The silver-haired teen continues.

Now Sora pauses, staring at his hands in his lap. He thinks he sees blood on them and starts rubbing them together to get the image out of his head. When that doesn’t work, he closes his eyes but just ends up seeing his hand sticking out of Riku’s chest and the knight’s wide, horrified gaze-

“It wasn’t a dream.” Sora replies a little sternly to get the image out of his head. “It was a memory.”

But the anger is washed away seconds later as his mind replays the moments again, replaced with a guilt and sadness that makes the Prince’s eyes water.

“Riku,” Sora continues, taking a breath and looking at the concerned knight. “Take your shirt off please.” He orders quietly.

The silver-haired teen looks a little embarrassed at first when he hears the Prince, but then his expression becomes uneasy and Riku looks away. “Sora, you should lay down. You can stay here for the night if you want-“

“Riku.” The brunet tries again, his voice shaking. “Please. Show me.” He begs.

The knight bites his bottom lip and tenses his jaw a few times, releasing a sigh after a moment and closing his eyes. He brings his hands to the bottom of his shirt and removes the fabric in a swift moment, turning to face the brunet and showing him his chest.

The sight of the large circular scar that takes up a decent portion of his upper chest makes Sora’s breath leave his body immediately, the brunet’s eyes glued to the pink-looking flesh. It’s all so new, there’s still purple markings of bruises around the wound even though it’s completely healed. Sora can’t help the shaky hand that raises on its own, pressing against the scar on Riku’s chest and beginning to sob quietly. The knight lays a gentle hand on his forearm, but it just makes Sora’s wailing grow in volume, the hot tears streaming down his face.

“What have I done?” Sora chokes out between sharp intakes of air and sniffles.

The knight’s grip on his forearm tightens, then Riku pulls the Prince into a hug as he cries. “No Sora, I-“ the silver-haired teen starts, but pauses with a hitch of his breath. “It doesn’t matter…”

The brunet pulls away, shaking his head back and forth furiously. “How can you say that!?” He cries out with terror.

Riku is taken aback with the Prince’s outburst, but catches himself quickly and grabs Sora’s wrists when he starts trying to rise. Sora rips himself free and cries harder. “All those men I killed…their screams and terror. And I… I would have done the same to you if-“ the Prince can’t even finish, bringing his hands to his eyes as he cries again.

Then he feels Riku’s arms wrapped around him gently and he leans against the knight for support. Riku balances him easily, steering Sora back towards the bed. They end up laying down on it together, Riku on his back and Sora lying on top of him, crying quietly into the silver-haired teen’s neck.

“The moment I realized you were missing, was like my world was crashing down around me.” Riku murmurs to him once his sobs have started to settle down. His voice is low and soothing near Sora’s ear as he continues. “I couldn’t say anything, felt like I was going to vomit and could barely walk. I’d never felt such guilt and fear all at once.”

“And as the days went on and we travelled and there was no sign of you being alive I felt my hope diminish. I…I feel awful about it now, but as time went on I was just so scared that something had already happened to you. And I guess I was right, because it did. When I saw what became of you…I didn’t even think about what would happen to me though. All I knew is that I had to go after you and do everything I could to keep you safe.” He finishes.

Sora inhales breathily against the teen’s neck, his wet eyelashes blinking against Riku’s skin. “Why?” He asks quietly.

There’s a pause and a shift of his weight so Sora is looking down at the knight. “Cause I’ll never care about anyone or need them like the way I need you, Sora.” Riku answers, his hand coming up to the brunet’s face to brush his bangs out of the way and kissing his forehead above his scar.

His bottom lip trembles again, but Sora presses his lips against the older teen’s quickly as another few tears escape him. Riku just wipes them away with soft coos to him and gentle rocking back and forth when Sora can’t seem to stop. The knight just continues to hold the Prince through his tears and hiccups until he starts to feel sleepy, the crying sending him to exhaustion. He knows everything is still a mess and there’s so much more healing to still come. But with Riku holding him gently and pressing his lips to the Prince’s temple as Sora cries himself to sleep, it’s easy to see that one day he’ll get there and it will have a lot to do with the man who holds him and keeps Sora safe from the nightmares.


End file.
